Becoming integrated into GNU since November, since 2017 Ring has been listed in Free Software Foundation (FSF)’s High Priority Projects (HPP) .
The main objective of HPP initiative is to increase Free Software reputation and adoption among information systems users, individuals and/or corporations. Since 2005, the foundation updates a list of work in progress applications for contributors, volunteers, companies and other Free Software supporters. Without their help, those projects would have never reached their full potential.
This list addresses several issues of Libre technologies such as decentralization, security, mobile APPs or real time voice and video chats. Ring is presented in this last category. ![](https://blog.savoirfairelinux.com/en-ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/heckert_gnu.png)
To FSF’s mind, the present context of mass surveillance forces us to fulfill Free Software commitment: creating new alternatives and secure solutions to proprietary communication softwares.
Ring’s presence in the HPP list is very important. As a Free, decentralized, secure and universal software, Ring fits natively in FSF’s philosophy because it is distributed under GPL v3 with its code being open to all contributions.
An object of study
Namely, our development team works with external contributions and academic partners. Ring is already part of computer engineering undergraduate programs at École Polytechnique de Montréal. This winter, new functions of Ring will be taught to 3rd year students.
Besides, let’s not forget to mention the important contribution of Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) graduates in building a secure Distributed Hashed Table system for Ring.
Therefore Free Software Foundation’s support nurture our will to share our own developments of a Free, universal, secure and distributed software project, which takes part in building a decentralized and free Internet.