[GNUz] [Fwd: Re: RMS to visit NZ]

[Rik Tindall]

Hi. Yes Don, we'll make sure RMS gets here and book the largest lecture 
hall we can for him.

Adam, if you want RMS in Nelson before or after Chch, after Wgtn, most 
happy to work in with you. Have more info below:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: RMS to visit NZ
Date: 	Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:40:07 +1200
From: 	simon
To: 	Rik Tindall
References: 	<1215920049.20145.802.camel at indigo-prime> 
<4879992C.5020701 at infohelp.co.nz>


On Sun, 2008-07-13 at 17:57 +1200, Rik Tindall wrote:
> simon wrote:
> > http://www.tinyurl.com/rmsnz
> >
> > Would GLU like to be involved?
> >   
> 
> Hello  Simon,
> 
> Thanks for writing. I had been wondering how best to pick up on, and 
> help with, the RMS tour. - That is a definite yes.
> 
> So far my thoughts had been to set up two speaking events, perhaps (Sun) 
> Mon &/or Tues pm of the time available in the south - unless RMS will 
> travel on to Dunedin from here.
> 
> So, first issues are, what costs/contributions should we expect re:
> 
> a) travel?
> 
> b) accommodation?
> 
That would be none :)
Someone would hove to cover travel entirely, but he will travel economy
- RMS *prefers* to stay as a guest in peoples houses. He does not expect
a speakers fee, but would like one. Instead, there are strong
restrictions on who can be associated with his speeches.

Since you are GLU, you'll understand better than most.

> On both these counts I am prepared to personally underwrite whatever 
> won't be met by any alternate means.
That's what I'm doing up here. My poor bank account... <whimper>
There is an updated timetable at
www.tinyurl.com/rmsnz

It is possible that sponsorship money will be left over from WGT events
but nobody is planning for that.

Please read the info pack that follows:


> Please forward this info packet to each of the talk hosts,
> and please ask each of them to read it, then send me mail
> with his phone number and what city he's in.
> 
> 
> Here's the info packet about my speeches.  This information is
> essential for planning my visit and speech.
>  
> 
> Please discuss with me what the topic of this speech should be.
> 
> 
> My usual speech about the Free Software Movement and GNU takes a
> little over 1.5 hours in English, plus time for questions, photos,
> distribution of FSF things, and so on.  It is best to allow plenty of
> time for questions, because people usually want to ask a lot of
> questions.  In total, it is best to allow 2.5 hours.
> 
> A typical title would be this:
> 
>     Free Software in Ethics and in Practice
> 
> or
> 
>     The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System
> 
> Other possible topics include
> 
>     Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks
> 
> and
> 
>     The Danger of Software Patents
> 
> and
> 
>     The GNU General Public License
>       What we've changed in version 3, and why
> 
> These topics take about an hour and a quarter in English,
> plus time for questions, photos, signatures, etc.  I suggest
> allowing at least two hours.
> 
> Each topic takes substantially longer in other languages.
> 
> I can also possibly speak about some other topic if you suggest one.
> 
> 
> Abstract:
> 
> For a speech about Free Software, you can use this abstract:
> 
>     Richard Stallman will speak about the Free Software Movement,
>     which campaigns for freedom so that computer users can cooperate
>     to control their own computing activities.  The Free Software
>     Movement developed the GNU operating system, often erroneously
>     referred to as Linux, specifically to establish these freedoms.
> 
> or
> 
>     Richard Stallman will speak about the goals and philosophy of the
>     Free Software Movement, and the status and history of the GNU
>     operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is
>     now used by tens of millions of users world-wide.
> 
> For Copyright vs Community, you can use this abstract:
> 
>     Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was
> designed
>     to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the
> printing
>     press.  But the copyright system does not fit well with computer
>     networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.
> 
>     The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying
>     for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers,
>     while suppressing public access to technology.  But if we
>     seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of
>     copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the
>     public--then we must make changes in the other direction.
> 
> For The Danger of Software Patents, you can use this abstract:
> 
>     Richard Stallman will explain how software patents obstruct
>     software development.  Software patents are patents that cover
>     software ideas.  They restrict the development of software, so
>     that every design decision brings a risk of getting sued.  Patents
>     in other fields restrict factories, but software patents restrict
>     every computer user.  Economic research shows that they even
>     retard progress.
> 
> For The GNU General Public License
> 
>     Richard Stallman wrote the first GNU General Public License in
>     1989, and version 3 which was completed in 2007.  He will discuss
>     the philosophy of the GNU GPL, the changes made in version 3,
>     and the reasons for those changes.
> 
> Brief bio:
> 
> Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system
> (see www.gnu.org) in 1984.  GNU is free software: everyone has the
> freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes
> either large or small.  The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU
> operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions of
> computers today.  Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a
> MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's
> Pioneer award, and the the Takeda Award for Social/Economic
> Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates.
> 
> (A longer version is available if you want it.)
> 
> 
> Photo:
> 
> There is a black-and-white photograph of me as a
> 5820K Encapsulated Postscript file
> (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.eps)
> 3762K JPEG file (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.jpeg), and
> 5815K TIFF file (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.tiff).
> 
> 
> Asking for the text:
> 
> I don't write my speeches in advance--that would take too much time.
> However, transcripts of my past speeches are available.  If you can
> make a transcript of my speech after I give it, that would be quite
> useful.
> 
> 
> Breaks:
> 
> I absolutely refuse to have a break in the middle of my speech.
> Once I start, I will go straight through.
> 
> 
> Participation in a larger event:
> 
> I am selective about the events I participate in.  If you are inviting
> me to speak at a larger event, please inform me now of the overall
> nature of the event, so I can make an informed decision about whether
> to participate.
> 
> I usually decline to participate in "open source" or "Linux" events.
> See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html for why it is incorrect
> to refer to the operating system as "Linux".
> 
> "Open source" is the slogan of a movement that was formed as a
> reaction against the free software movement.  Those who support its
> views have a right to promote them, but I disagree with them and I
> want to promote the ideals of free software.  See
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for more
> explanation of the difference.  However, I will agree to participate
> in events labeled "Free Software and Open Source", provided that my
> speech is not the principal draw of the event.
> 
> 
> Erecting a larger event:
> 
> If you are thinking of erecting a larger event around my speech,
> please talk with me about the plans for such a larger event _before_
> proceeding with them.  I want to make sure the event entirely supports
> what I am trying to achieve, and I want to review the publicity plans
> for the event.
> 
> 
> Venues and planning:
> 
> When I give a public speech, my goal is to reach as many people as
> possible.  It takes the same work to give a speech to 100 interested
> people or 400 interested people, but the latter does 4 times as much
> good.  Don't aim small!
> 
> So please arrange a large room, then try to fill it by publicizing the
> speech widely.  Thus, if you are running a departmental seminar
> series, please publicize this speech all around whole university.
> 
> We will also want to inform the region's daily newspapers so they can
> put the speech in their calendar sections, and anything else we can
> think of, so that more of those who are interested in the topic
> will come to the speech.
> 
> 
> Facilities:
> 
> A microphone is desirable if the room is large.  A supply of tea with
> milk and sugar would be nice; otherwise, non-diet pepsi will do.  (I
> dislike the taste of coke, and of all diet soda; also, there is an
> international boycott of the Coca Cola company for killing union
> organizers in Colombia).  If it is good tea, I like it without milk
> and sugar.  With milk and sugar, any kind of tea is fine.  I always
> bring tea bags with me, so if we arrange to use my tea bags, that
> takes care of the issue.
> 
> No other facilities are needed.  I do not have slides or any sort
> of presentation materials.
> 
> 
> Languages:
> 
> I can speak in English, French, and Spanish.
> 
> If the audience won't be comfortable with a language I can speak, it
> is important to have a translator.  However, consecutive translation
> is not feasible, because it would more than double the length of the
> speech.  Please do not ask me to do that--I will refuse.
> 
> I have found it works to do simultaneous translation without special
> systems: I speak into the ear of the interpreter, and the interpreter
> speaks to the microphone.  This avoids the need for special
> transmitters and headsets.  However, it does require an interpreter
> capable of doing simultaneous translation for more than an hour.
> Do not propose doing this with a person whose translation skills
> are not adequate for this.
> 
> 
> Restricting admission:
> 
> If you plan to restrict admission to my speech, or charge a fee for
> admission, please discuss this with me *personally in advance* to get
> my approval for the plan.  If you have imposed charges without my
> direct personal approval, I may refuse to do the speech.
> 
> I'm not categorically against limiting admission or fees, but
> excluding people means the speech does less good, so I want to make
> sure that the limitations are as small as necessary.  For instance,
> you can allow students and low-paid people and political activists to
> get in free, even if professionals have to pay.  We will discuss what
> to do.
> 
> 
> Sponsors:
> 
> If corporations sponsor my talk, I am willing to include a small
> tasteful note of thanks in announcements and brochures, but no more
> than that.  There should be no descriptions of their products or
> services, and no banners with their names.  If a would-be sponsor
> insists on more than that, we have to do without that sponsor.
> 
> If my speech is part of a pre-existing larger event that I have agreed
> to participate in, I can't impose such conditions for the whole event.
> However, if banners will be on display next to me while I am speaking,
> that is rather obnoxious; if they advertise organizations that I
> disapprove of on ethical grounds (which is not unlikely) I would want
> to take them down, cover them up, or turn them off during my speech.
> 
> 
> Publicity:
> 
> The GNU Project constantly struggles against two widespread mistakes
> that undermine the effectiveness of our work: calling our work "open
> source", and calling the GNU operating system "Linux".  Another very
> bad mistake is using the term "intellectual property".
> 
> The Free Software Movement and the Open Source Movement are like two
> political parties in our community.  I founded the Free Software
> Movement in 1984 along with the GNU Project; we call our work "free
> software" because it is software that respects the users freedom.  The
> Open Source Movement was founded, in 1998, specifically to reject our
> idealistic philosophy--they studiously avoid talking about freedom.
> See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for
> more explanation of the difference between the two movements.
> 
> So please make sure that all the publicity about the event (web site,
> email announcements, conference programs, direct mail, signs, etc),
> uses the term "free software", not "open source", when you refer to
> work that includes mine.  This includes to the title and descriptions
> of my speech, of the session it is in, of the track it is part of, and
> of the event itself.
> 
> Of course, some of these names and descriptions may not refer to this
> work at all; for example, if a track or the whole event covers a much
> broader topic in which free software is just a small part, its name
> may not refer to free software.  That is normal and appropriate.  The
> point is not to ask you to refer to this work more often than you
> normally would, but that you should describe it accurately whenever
> you do refer to it.
> 
> If other speakers in the same session, track, or event want their work
> to be categorized as "open source", that is a legitimate request for
> them to make.  In that case, please give "free software" equal mention
> with "open source".
> 
> If you think it is useful to tell people how free software relates to
> open source, you can say that "since 1998, another group has used the
> term `open source' to describe a related activity."  That will tell
> people that my work has a relationship with "open source", which they
> may have heard of, without implying it is right to describe my work as
> "open source."
> 
> The other widespread confusion is the idea of a "Linux operating
> system".  The system in question, the system that Debian and Red Hat
> distribute, the system that tens of millions of people use, is
> basically the GNU operating system, with Linux added as the kernel.
> When people call the whole system "Linux", they deny us the credit for
> our work, and this is not right.  (See
> http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation.)
> 
> So please call this combined operating system "GNU/Linux" in all
> the publicity, in the titles and description of the session, track,
> event, etc., if and when you have reason to refer to it.
> 
> For similar reasons, please don't use a penguin as a symbol for my
> work, or on the posters or notices for my speech.  The penguin stands
> for "Linux"; the symbol of GNU is a gnu.  So if you want to use a
> graphical image to symbolize GNU or my work, please use a gnu.
> 
> If you have handled these issues well, nobody who looks at your
> material will get the impression that I work on "open source", or that
> I support "open source", or that my work is "part of Linux", or that I
> participated in the "development of Linux", or that GNU is the name of
> "a collection of tools".
> 
> As for the term "intellectual property", that spreads confusion and
> hostile bias.  See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html
> for explanation.  I hope you will decide to reject that expression, as
> I do; but in any case, don't use it in connection with my speech.
> 
> 
> Printing Free Software, Free Society
> 
> Please print copies of my book, Free Software, Free Society, to sell
> at the event if you can.  The English version (230 pages) is available
> in http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/rms-essays.ps and the Spanish
> version (318 pages) is in
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/free_software.es.pdf.
> 
> If you use ordinary copying and avoid fancy covers, you can sell them
> for two or three times the cost of copying, and they will still be
> cheap enough that many people will buy them.  From the proceeds you
> will first retain the cost of printing; then part of what remains will
> be for your organization, and the rest for the FSF.
> 
> If you don't have the money to pay for the printing, don't give up.
> We can solve that problem.  Please talk with rms-assist at gnu.org about
> it.
> 
> In the US, Canada, Spain, Italy and Japan, you can obtain published
> copies in English, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese.  You won't have to
> pay anything in advance in order to do this.  Just talk with
> rms-assist at gnu.org for advice.
> 
> 
> At the speech:
> 
> Please arrange for someone to hand out and collect our "contact
> cards".  Please make this announcement at the speech to inform people
> about them:
> 
>    FSF would like to keep in touch with those who support us, to give
>    you updates on what we are doing and how you can help.  If you are
>    willing, Dr. Stallman asks that you fill out these contact cards,
>    which he can take back with him so you can receive updates about
>    FSF.  The FSF will not release this information unless forced to.
> 
> You can print the contact cards from
> http://www.fsf.org/resources/contact-cards.
> 
> 
> Changes of plans:
> 
> Don't assume that I can still come if you change the date.  My
> schedule is tight.  If you change the date by even one day, I may be
> unable to come.  However, I will certainly be flexible if there is no
> obstacle.  Please consult with me before making any change, and I will
> see what I can do.
> 
> 
> Scheduling other meetings:
> 
> I have agreed to give a speech for you, and if the press wants to talk
> with me, I will do that for the sake of the cause.  However, if you
> would like me to give additional speeches or go to additional
> meetings, please ask me first.  Please ask me about *each* activity
> you would like me to perform.
> 
> Many people assume that because I am traveling, I am having a
> vacation--that I have no other work to do, so I can spend the whole
> day speaking or meeting with people.  Some hosts even feel that they
> ought to try to fill up my time as a matter of good hospitality.
> Alas, it's not that way for me.
> 
> The fact is, I have no vacations.  (Don't feel sorry for me; idleness
> is not something I wish for.)  I have to spend 6 to 8 hours *every
> day* doing my usual work, which is responding to email about the GNU
> Project and the Free Software Movement.  Work comes in every day for
> me, and if I skip it one day, I have to catch up another day.  During
> the week I usually fall behind; on weekends I try to catch up.
> 
> Traveling takes up time, so I will be extra busy during my visit.  And
> it might be nice if I could do at least an hour or two of sightseeing
> during the visit.  So please ask me *in advance* about *each*
> additional speech, meeting, or other activity that would take time.  I
> don't mind being asked, and I may say yes, but I also may say no.
> 
> Remember that an additional speech, even if it is just a one-hour
> speech, probably takes up two hours counting questions, autographs,
> etc.  And then there is the travel time.
> 
> 
> Interviews:
> 
> I am glad to give interviews to the press about the GNU system, but
> before I do, I want to be sure they will not repeat the two common
> mistakes (calling the whole system "Linux" and associating GNU or me
> with "open source").  Please explain this, and ask the journalist if
> he will agree to call the system "GNU/Linux" in the article, and to
> make it clear that our work is "free software" not "open source".
> Recommend reading http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html and
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for
> explanations of these issues.  If the journalist agrees, then I agree
> to an interview.  Please have this discussion by email, and save the
> messages in both directions.
> 
> Sometimes a journalist gives a response which sounds vaguely
> affirmative or sympathetic but its words do not really say "yes".
> Examples are "I will do this as much as I can" and "I understand the
> distinction."  Such an answer is actually just "maybe", so when you
> receive one, please ask for clarification.  If he says that the editor
> has the final decision, please respond with "Would you please consult
> the editor now, and tell us a firm decision?"
> 
> Also please ask journalists to *see my speech* before the interview.
> My speeches are not technical; they focus on precisely the sort of
> philosophical questions that a journalist would probably want to
> cover.  If the journalist does not attend my speech, he will probably
> start by asking me to answer the same questions that I answer in the
> speech.  That is inefficient.
> 
> Please ask each journalist to agree to make a recording of the
> interview.  Written notes are not reliable, so I have decided not to
> do that sort of interview any more.
> 
> It is also a good idea for the journalist to read
> http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html and some of the articles
> in http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/ before the interview.  Those
> articles provide important background.  This is especially important
> for anyone who cannot come to my speech first.
> 
> I am willing to meet with any number of journalists, but if there are
> many, I can't meet all of them individually (it would take too much
> time).  So what I will do is give private interviews to 2 or maybe 3
> of them, whichever ones you think are most important, and see the rest
> of them as a group (i.e. in a press conference).
> 
> You and your associates can judge better than I do which journalists
> and which publications I should focus on.  So I would like you to
> advise me about that.  Please try to judge both the importance of the
> publication and the merits (intelligence, attention to accuracy,
> openness of mind, and absence of bias) of the journalist, if you can.
> 
> If you schedule a press conference or group interview, please *plan
> the time of my speech to allow the inteview after it*.  It may be a
> good idea to find out from journalists what times are good for them,
> then schedule the conference, then schedule the speech before it.
> This way, they will all be able to get the full picture.
> 
> 
> Recording my speech:
> 
> Please do record the speech if you can.  We are always looking for
> good recordings of my speeches, both audio and video, to put on line.
> 
> The GNU Project keeps an on-line audio and video collection of speech
> recordings in audio-video.gnu.org.  If you are making an audio or
> video recording of my speech, please write to audio-video at gnu.org in
> advance for advice on how to make a recording that is good for further
> use, and subsequently to arrange to install your recording on our
> site.
> 
> When you are making a recording, please *make sure* to tell me when
> the tape needs to be changed.  I will pause.  Please help me help you
> make the recording complete.
> 
> 
> Recording formats:
> 
> Please make sure that your recording is not compressed with a
> substantially lossy codec (unless it is an Ogg codec).  If we have to
> transcode the file, starting from a lower-quality base will reduce the
> quality of the result.
> 
> It is best to provide audio recordings in the original recorded sample
> rate, up to 44100Hz.  Monophonic is generally adequate for speech
> recordings and saves a lot of space over stereo.
> 
> For video recordings, please save the master recording, which will
> probably be in miniDV format.
> 
> Please don't transcode recordings from one format to another before
> sending to us, unless they have such a high bit rate that files are
> impractically large.  If you do need to encode or transcode, please
> convert audio to 64Kbps mono Ogg Vorbis (or you could try Ogg Speex),
> and convert video to Ogg Theora with video quality set to 5 or more.
> If you need advice for how to do this, please ask audio-video at gnu.org.
> 
> 
> Putting my speech on the net:
> 
> If you would like to put my speech on the Internet, or distribute it
> in digital form, I insist on using the formats of the free software
> community: Ogg Vorbis or Ogg Speex format for audio, and Ogg Theora
> for video.  Please do not distribute my speech in any other format.
> 
> Please do not ever broadcast or publish my speeches in formats that
> are not good for free software.  I will not speak to make a recording
> or broadcast that requires non-free software to be heard or viewed.
> Don't use RealPlayer format, or Quicktime, or Windows Media Player
> format, or a patented format such as MPEG2, MPEG4, or MP3.
> 
> This requirement is very important, because if it is not followed,
> viewing my speech will require people to do the exact opposite of what
> I ask them to do.  The medium's message would contradict my message.
> 
> Because this is so important, please make sure everyone who might be
> involved in broadcasting the event, or who might be directly or
> indirectly involved in planning such a broadcast, knows this
> requirement in advance of the event.
> 
> 
> Remote speeches by video connection:
> 
> I can do a speech remotely through a videoconferencing system.  This
> can be done by Internet or by ISDN.  For good quality by Internet, we
> need a maximum of 100msec response time for ping between your site and
> where I am, and 100kbytes/sec transfer rate.
> 
> Using two or three ISDN lines gives good quality but the calls cost
> money.  If I am at home, there is a facility I can use at no charge;
> you would have to pay for the ISDN calls and for the facilities at
> your end.  If I am somewhere else (which is true more than half the
> time), then we will need to find a videoconferencing facility for me
> to use; most likely you will need to pay for that.
> 
> 
> Warning about giveways:
> 
> You may find companies offering you CD-ROMs, books, fliers or
> publicity materials to give away or sell at my speech.  Please check
> them before you accept them, to make sure that they don't promote the
> very thing that we are working to replace.
> 
> For instance, the CDs may contain non-free software.  Most distros of
> GNU/Linux contain or suggest non-free software in addition to the free
> software.  (And most of them call the system "Linux".)  Please check
> with me before you allow a CD of GNU/Linux to be distributed at the
> event.
> 
> Books about use of the GNU/Linux system and about GNU programs are
> fine if they themselves are also free.  But many of them are non-free
> (see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-doc.html).  To see if a book
> is free, check the license on the back of the title page.  If it uses
> the GNU Free Documentation License, or the Open Publication License
> version 1 without options A and B, then it is free.  If it isn't one
> of those, please show me the license and I will tell you if it is a
> free license.
> 
> If companies send you publicity materials, please check with me before
> giving them out at my speech.
> 
> 
> Flights:
> 
> The FSF does not pay for my travel, and I can't afford to.  I will
> need you to arrange to cover the cost of my traveling to and from your
> city (unless I've told you someone else will do it).
> 
> I am traveling most of the time, and most of my trips include several
> stops.  Chances are your city is neither the first nor the last stop
> in the trip.  Please don't make assumptions about the itinerary;
> instead, please ask me for whatever information you need.
> 
> Many organizations ask to buy the tickets and send them to me.  I do
> not object to that method in principle, but it typically assumes the
> trip goes to just one city.  That approach is hard to use for a
> multi-destination trip, unless you want to pay for the whole trip.  So
> normally I buy the tickets myself and get reimbursed by the various
> places I am visiting.  For a multi-destination trip, we will need to
> agree on what parts of the travel expenses you should cover.
> 
> Some organizations feel that hospitality calls for providing me with a
> business class ticket.  That is indeed more comfortable, but an
> economy class seat is good enough.  Meanwhile, speaking is my main
> source of income, and the extra price of a business class ticket would
> be a lot more useful for me if I can spend it on something else.  So
> if you were thinking of spending extra for business class, how about
> if you pay the extra to me as a speaker's fee instead?
> 
> We should plan for me to arrive (at the site itself, not just at the
> airport) at least 24 hours before the speech; that way, even if the
> flight is cancelled, there is a good chance I can still arrive in time
> for the speech by taking the same flight the next day.
> 
> 
> Lost tickets:
> 
> If you are not paying me a speaking fee, but you are paying for the
> airline tickets, I must insist that you cover the costs if I have to
> replace a lost ticket, the fee for changing the ticket if I miss a
> flight, or any other surprise expenses associated with my travel to
> and from your location.
> 
> This might seem unfair--if a ticket is lost, it could be my fault.
> But my income is not large, and I cannot afford to assume this risk
> myself if the event offers me no income.  The frustration I feel when
> I suffer such a loss is excruciating.  It is better for me to decline
> to travel to a certain place than to take such a risk.
> 
> 
> Other expenses:
> 
> I expect you to cover expenses such as visa fees, fees for mailing my
> passport back and forth, taxis to and from the airport, and so on.
> 
> 
> Accommodations:
> 
> I am willing to stay in a hotel if that is the way you want to do it.
> Please book the hotel for me and arrange to pay the hotel directly.
> 
> But if there is anyone who wants to offer a spare couch, or even some
> spare floor, I would much rather stay there than in a hotel (provided
> I have a door I can close, in order to have some privacy).  Staying
> with someone is more fun for me than a hotel, and it would also save
> you money.  Floor space is sufficient because I bring an air mattress
> with me.
> 
> Above 72 fahrenheit (22 centigrade) I find sleeping quite difficult.
> (If the air is dry, I can stand 23 degrees.)  A little above that
> temperature, an electric fan enables me to sleep.  More than 3 degrees
> above that temperature, I need air conditioning to sleep.  If there is
> a substantial chance of temperatures too hot for me, please arrange in
> advance for me to have what I need.
> 
> If you are planning for me to stay in a hotel, DO NOT take for granted
> that the hotel has air conditioning--or that it will be working when I
> arrive.  Some hotels shut off their air conditioning systems for part
> of the year.  They often think it is unnecessary in seasons when the
> temperature is usually in the mid 20s--and they follow their schedule
> like stupid robots even if there is a heat wave.
> 
> So you must explicitly ask them: "Do you have air conditioning?  Will
> it be functioning for the dates XXX-YYY?"
> 
> In some hotels with central air conditioning, it simply does not work
> very well: it can make a room less hot, but can't make it cool.
> Before using a hotel that has central air conditioning, find out what
> temperature it can actually lower a room to, during the relevant
> dates.
> 
> If you put me in a hotel, please cover the costs of the telephone
> calls I will need to transfer my email.  Some hotels charge a lot of
> money for this.
> 
> Many countries have a law that hotels must report all guests to the
> police.  In most cases, this orwellian policy applies not only to
> foreigners like me, but to citizens as well!  The citizens should be
> outraged by this, but often they are not.
> 
> Please call the hotel and ask whether they will demand to see my
> passport.  If it has this policy, please join me in striking a blow
> against Big Brother, by looking for a place I can stay in that doesn't
> demand to see my passport.  If the police want information about free
> software, they are welcome to come to my speech.
> 
> If you have found a person for me to stay with, please forward this
> section and the two following sections to that person.
> 
> 
> Pets:
> 
> I like cats if they are friendly, but they are not good for me; I am
> somewhat allergic to them.  This allergy makes my face itch and my
> eyes water.  So the bed, and the room I will usually be staying in,
> need to be clean of cat hair.  However, it is no problem if there is a
> cat elsewhere in the house--I might even enjoy it.  Dogs that bark
> angrily and/or jump up on me frighten me, unless they are small and
> cannot reach much above my knees.  But if they only bark or jump when
> we enter the house, I can cope, as long as you hold the dog away from
> me at that time.  Aside from that issue, I'm ok with dogs.
> 
> If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be
> very very glad.  If you can find someone who has a friendly parrot I
> can visit with, that will be nice too.
> 
> 
> Email:
> 
> It is very important for me to be able to transfer email between my
> laptop and the net, so I can do my ordinary work.  While traveling, I
> often need to do the work and the transfer late at night, or in the
> morning before a departure.  So please set up a way I can connect to
> the net from the place I am staying.  I do NOT use browsers, I use the
> SSH protocol.
> 
> If a hotel says "We have internet access for customers", that is so
> vague that it cannot be relied on.  So please find out exactly what
> they have and exactly what it will do.  If they have an ethernet, do
> they have a firewall?  Does it permit SSH connections?  If they use a
> wireless network, will an Orinoco Gold card work with it?  What
> parameters does the user need to specify in order to talk with it?
> 
> Please check those things directly with the people who actually run
> the network.  If you talk with someone who doesn't understand what
> "SSH connection" means, or if he doesn't understand the difference
> between "Internet" and "web browsing", that person is not competent to
> give reliable information.  Don't rely on information from such a
> person--talk to someone who knows!
> 
> A modem connection is fine if it works, so please verify in advance
> that the telephone line you expect me to use has a modular jack and
> that it works to call the ISP from that line.  Hotels in Europe and
> Asia often have peculiar phone systems; the staff may tell you it is
> possible to call an ISP from the hotel *but they may be wrong*.  For
> instance, their phone switchboard may not recognize the tones produced
> by modems.  The only way to tell for certain is to go to the hotel,
> try phoning with a computer from a guest room, and see if it actually
> works.  Until you have tested it, don't believe it!
> 
> I already have ISPs to call in the US and in many countries in Europe;
> elsewhere, please find me a local ISP to call.  (It is best if you
> lend me a permanent account that someone else uses, one that will
> continue working afterward, so that I can use it again if I come back
> or use it from other places in the region.)  Hotel phone rates may be
> high; I expect you to cover them.  However, I normally connect to the
> net only for around ten minutes at a time, twice a day, so the total
> won't be too bad.
> 
> 
> Paying me a reimbursement or a fee:
> 
> Please pay my reimbursement or fee to me personally; do not send it to
> the FSF.  The FSF and I have completely separate finances, and the FSF
> never pays for my travel.  The FSF welcomes donations, but please make
> sure that money intended to me is not sent to them, because moving it
> afterward would mean accounting headaches as well as extra work.
> 
> My assistant is not involved with my finances, so he cannot help you
> with that issue.  Please send questions about payments to me directly.
> 
> If you pay me by check, and you're not in the US, make sure to get a
> check that lists a corresponding US bank--otherwise it will cost me a
> fee to deposit the check.  Please mail the check to:
> 
>     Richard Stallman
>     77 Mass Ave rm 32-S381
>     Cambridge MA 02139
>     Phone number: 617-253-8830
> 
> Do not mail it to the FSF!
> 
> A wire transfer is also a good method of payment.  I will send you the
> coordinates; ask if you need them.  The bank you use will charge a
> fee, and my bank charges me $10 for each incoming transfer; please add
> those fees to the amount, rather than taking them out of what I
> receive.
> 
> If you are outside the US, please convert your currency to dollars in
> your bank, then use one of the above methods to pay me the dollars.
> My bank gives very bad exchange rates; yours is surely better.
> 
> Cash is also fine.
> 
> If you want an invoice, I will be glad to give you one.  Let's work
> out what it should say by email before I arrive.  Please also check
> before the visit whether you need any other forms, such as tax forms.
> I would like to be able to take care of any necessary forms while I am
> there, rather than wait till afterward.
> 
> 
> Hospitality:
> 
> It is nice of you to want to be kind to me, but please don't offer
> help all the time.  In general I am used to managing life on my own;
> when I need help, I am not shy about asking.  So there is no need to
> offer to help me.  Moreover, being constantly offered help is actually
> quite distracting and tiresome.
> 
> So please, unless I am in grave immediate danger, please don't offer
> help.  The nicest thing you can do is help when I ask, and otherwise
> not worry about how I am doing.  Meanwhile, you can also ask me for
> help when you need it.
> 
> One situation where I do not need help, let alone supervision, is in
> crossing streets.  I grew up in the middle of the world's biggest
> city, full of cars, and I have crossed streets without assistance even
> in the chaotic traffic of Bangalore and Delhi.
> 
> In some places, my hosts act as if my every wish were their command.
> By catering to my every whim, in effect they make me a tyrant over
> them, which is not a role I like.  I start to worry that I might
> subject them to great burdens without even realizing.  I start being
> afraid to express my appreciation of anything, because they would get
> it and give it to me at any cost.  If it is night, and the stars are
> beautiful, I hesitate to say so, lest my hosts feel obligated to try
> to get one for me.
> 
> When I'm trying to decide what to do, often I mention things that
> MIGHT be nice to do--depending on more details, if it fits the
> schedule, if there isn't a better alternative, etc.  Some hosts take
> such a tentative suggestion as an order, and try moving heaven and
> earth to make it happen.  This excessive rigidity is not only quite
> burdensome for other people, it can even fail in its goal of pleasing
> me.  If there is a better alternative, I'd rather be flexible and
> choose it instead--so please tell me.  If my tentative suggestion
> imposes a lot of trouble on others, I want to drop it--so please tell
> me.
> 
> 
> Dinners:
> 
> If you are thinking of setting up a lunch or dinner for me with more
> than 4 people total, please consider that as a meeting, and discuss it
> with me in advance.  Such meals draw on my strength, just like
> speeches and interviews.  They are not relaxation, they are work.
> 
> I expect to do work during my visit, but there is a limit on the
> amount of work I can handle each day.  So please ask me in advance
> about any large planned meal, and expect me to say no if I have a lot
> of other work already.  If we are having a meal that I did not agree
> to as a large meal, and other people ask if they can join, please tell
> them no.  In both cases, please tell them that I need a chance to
> relax after the other work I will have done.
> 
> Please don't be surprised if I pull out my computer at dinner and
> begin handling some of my email.  I have difficulty hearing when there
> is noise; at dinner, when people are speaking to each other, I usually
> cannot hear their words.  Rather than feel bored, or impose on
> everyone by asking them to speak slowly at me, I do some work.
> 
> Please don't try to pressure me to "relax" instead, and fall behind on
> my work.  Surely you do not really want me to have to work double the
> next day to catch up (assuming I even COULD catch up).  Please do not
> interfere as I do what I need to do.
> 
> 
> Food:
> 
> I enjoy delicious food, and I like most kinds of cooking if they are
> done well (the exception being that I cannot eat anything very spicy).
> If I am ordering from the menu in a restaurant which has a variety,
> there's no need for you to worry about the question of what I like; I
> will take care of it.
> 
> But if you want to cook for me, or invite me to a restaurant that
> specializes in just one thing, you need to know what I dislike:
> 
>    avocado
>    eggplant, usually (there are occasional exceptions)
>    hot pepper
>    liver (even in trace quantities)
>    stomach and intestine; other organ meats
>    oysters
>    egg yolk, except when boiled completely hard
>    many strong cheeses, especially those with green fungus
>    desserts that contain fruit or liqueur
>    sour fruits, such as grapefruit and most oranges
>    beer
>    coffee (though weak coffee flavor can be good in desserts)
>    the taste of alcohol (so I don't drink anything stronger than wine)
> 
> Don't ever try to decide what food I should eat without asking me.
> Never assume that I will surely like a certain dish, merely because
> most people do.  Instead, ask me in advance!  If, that is, I won't
> have many other alternatives to choose from.
> 
> 
> Wine:
> 
> Wine is not very important to me--not like food.  I like some kinds of
> wine, depending on the taste, and dislike others, but I don't remember
> the names of wines I have liked, so it is useless to ask me.
> 
> Therefore, if you're having dinner with me, please don't ask me what
> to do about wine.  I can't decide intelligently, and it matters more
> to others than to me.  Have wine or don't, as you prefer; choose it to
> please yourself and the others, not for me.
> 
> If you get a bottle of wine, I will taste it, and if I like the taste,
> I will drink a little, perhaps a glass.
> 
> 
> Restaurants:
> 
> So I like to go to restaurants that are good at whatever kind of food
> they do.  I don't arrive with specific preferences for a kind of food
> to eat--rather, I want to have whatever is good there: perhaps the
> local traditional cuisine, or the food of an immigrant ethnic group
> which is present in large numbers, or something unusual and original.
> 
> So please don't ask me "Where do you want to eat?" or "What kind of
> restaurant do you want to go to?"  I can't make an intelligent
> decision without knowing the facts, and unless I am already familiar
> with the city we're in, I can only get those facts from you.
> 
> The only general thing I can tell you is that what I like or dislike
> about a meal is the sensation of eating the food.  Other things, such
> as the decor of a restaurant, or the view from its windows, are
> secondary.  Let's choose the restaurant based on its food.
> 
> A good approach is to ask around *in advance* among your acquaintances
> to find people who like good food and are familiar with the area's
> restaurants.  They will be able to give good recommendations.
> 
> 
> Sightseeing:
> 
> If I am visiting an interesting city or region, I will probably want
> to do a few hours of sightseeing in between the work.  But don't try
> to plan sightseeing for me without asking me first--I can only spare a
> limited time for it, so I am selective about where to go.  Please
> don't assume I want to see something just because it is customary to
> take visitors there.  That place may be of no interest with me.
> Instead, please tell me about possible places to visit--then I can say
> what I would like.
> 
> I enjoy natural beauty such as mountains and rocky coasts, ancient
> buildings, impressive and unusual modern buildings, and trains.  I
> like caves, and if there is a chance to go caving I would enjoy that.
> (I am just a novice as a caver.)  I often find museums interesting,
> but it depends on the subject.
> 
> I tend to like music that has a feeling of dance in it, but I
> sometimes like other kinds too.  However, I usually dislike the
> various genres that are popular in the US, such as rock, country, rap,
> reggae, techno, and composed American "folk".  Please tell me what
> unusual music and dance forms are present; I can tell you if I am
> interested.  If there is a chance to see folk dancing, I would
> probably enjoy that.
> 
> If there is something else interesting and unique, please tell me
> about it.  Maybe I will be interested.
> 
> 
> More arrangements:
> 
> Once we have a precise date for the speech, my assistant will contact
> you with questions about the arrangements for the trip.  Please
> respond as soon as possible with the information she asks for.