Well, look what came in the mail the other day.

Though I probably don’t need another credit card, this one’s a little different. Instead of racking up points for me, my new MasterCard sends a portion of each and every purchase I make directly to The Linux Fund — supporting projects…

… as specific as Inkscape, the free alternative to Adobe Illustrator.

… as big as Debian, the Linux distribution that’s the foundation for (among other things) Ubuntu.

… as noble as Free Geek, a North America-wide non-profit organization providing computer training and electronics recycling. Toronto has a local chapter if you didn’t know.

There’s another, more selfish reason for my choice in plastic here: Near as I can tell, MasterCard seems to be slightly ahead of the curve with mobile payments and NFC. So while I most certainly won’t be using a Nexus S to gain entry into my city’s decidedly less-than-modern subway system anytime soon, at least I’ll be ready if and when the day comes.

I’m also banking on my card’s friendly penguin to broker some conversations on free software and such at bars, restaurants and shops.

I’ll let you know! 😎