Edward Snowden's moral courage, and why massive surveillance made it necessary.

I know something about moral courage. Thousands of programmers could, in 1983, have decided to reject the enticing profits of proprietary software and develop a free operating system, but I'm the only one who did it.

I had the determination to swim against the current, and keep doing so despite ridicule, insults, and attempts to convince me to ruin everything by compromising too far. But I didn't have to face a threat to put me in prison.

Snowden's act demanded far more moral courage than mine, and I honor him for that.