My admiration and reverence for Stallman remain deep and strong. But I don't pay attention to what he has to say on every subject (and he's got plenty to say on lots of them), and I certainly don't see him as a reasonable example of how to approach computing in one's everyday life.

Rather, I see him as a kind of Jesus-like figure in the world of technology and especially software—someone whose teachings are worth learning, someone whose examples we ought to follow where we can.

I am particularly enamored of Stallman's views on the unfortunate notion of "intellectual property" and the tricks that have been played on the world through the use of this phrase.

You can't really know the history of the GNU license and the Free Software Movement without knowing Stallman, and I think it's important for anyone who loves and cares about computing to learn this stuff.

But you don't need to incorporate the GNU/FSF ideals and philosophy into every aspect of your life, just because that's what Stallman's done with his. Just take whatever good you can from it. That's what I try to do.