The High Priority Free Software Projects (HPP) initiative
draws attention to areas of improvement to the HPP list and
specific projects of great strategic importance to the goal of
freedom for all computer users. Longtime committee member
Benjamin Mako Hill said previously that an "updated High Priority
Projects list is a description of the most important threats, and
most critical opportunities, that free software faces in the
modern computing landscape." As computing is more ubiquitous than
ever, the HPP list must reflect ongoing changes in priorities for
the free software movement. The committee is starting the new
process of updating the HPP, and we need your input.
Fifteen years ago, the first version of the HPP list debuted
with only four projects, three of them related to Java. Eighteen
months later, Sun began to free Java users, proving the
strength of advocacy campaigns for free software. Another example
of the effectiveness of the list is when the HPP list called for
a donor and contact management system, which was then promptly
acted on by the developers of CiviCRM, who delivered
the database management system that is currently still in use by
the FSF and more than eleven thousand other nonprofit or
governmental organizations. The list's persuasive powers can help
guide existing projects, developers looking for a new project,
investors, and volunteers to direct their focus toward those
projects that will deliver the greatest benefit to user freedom.
There are undoubtedly thousands of free software projects that
are high priority, each having the potential to displace nonfree
programs and substantially increase the freedom of computer users
worldwide. The HPP list will never be fully comprehensive or
adequate to address all existing software freedom concerns. The
potential value is its ability to bring attention to a relatively
small number of projects of great strategic importance to the
goal of freedom for all computer users. According to a write-up
for a previous iteration of the list, projects can benefit
from a place on the list as it helps them "explain their
importance," and the list "has helped attract other developers"
to named projects.
The committee is looking for your feedback to compile the list
In 2017, after receiving feedback from about 150 free software
community members, extensive updates were made to the HPP
list. Now, a new committee has been assembled to review, edit,
and publish a new list. This committee is looking for your
feedback as members of free software communities focused on a
wide range of topics and problems that you think are relevant to
the HPP.
As in past reboots and revisions of the HPP list, we invite
constructive and lively discussion. We want to hear from people
who live and breathe free software. We hope that with your help,
others too will become empowered, vocal, and valued members of
the free software movement.
We need your input! Send your suggested changes for the list to
[email protected] by January 8, 2021.
Remember, we're looking for projects of great strategic
importance to the goal of freedom for all computer users. We are
looking for areas where people feel they are heavily pressured or
even required to use proprietary software, as well as for
important missing features in existing free software, and for
problems you see on the horizon as technology is developing.
If you wish, we encourage you to publish your thoughts
independently (e.g., on your blog or social media) and send us a
link to them. Keep in mind that not every project of great
strategic importance to the goal of freedom for all computer
users will be a software development project. We welcome
suggestions of other forms of activism, internal or
external (e.g., making free software communities safe for diverse
participants, mandating use of free software in the public
sector, etc.).
Suggestions for the HPP list are always welcome. The committee
plans to start processing feedback for this update by January 8, 2021.
Based upon the feedback we receive, the current content of the
list, and our own contributions, we will publish a substantially
revised list and an analysis before holding a lively discussion
at LibrePlanet 2021.
Recommendations for the HPP list as a tool for the free software movement
We will build upon the momentum of the feedback conversations and
bring widespread coverage and attention to the projects that
comprise the HPP list. As part of an ongoing free software
strategy for advocacy, we intend to continuously direct attention
and resources toward the listed projects. In that effort, we’re
looking for input as well -- how can we make the HPP list an
effective outreach tool for the free software movement?
We are looking forward to your feedback at [email protected]
as we work on more substantial improvements!
