slug: welcome-fsf-and-gnu
title: Welcome FSF and GNU!
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Today freenode welcomes the Free Software Foundation's [GNU Project](http://www.gnu.org/), which [announced today](http://www.fsf.org/press/2002-08-26-freenode.html) that it has made us its official IRC network. From the press release:
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_ Bradley M. Kuhn, executive director of the Free Software Foundation, pointed out: "The GNU Project has long sought an IRC network aligned with our strong stand for the principles of software freedom. We believe that Freenode, with its commitment to providing a innovative venue for Free Software developers and like-minded individuals to cooperate, fits the bill."
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Robert Levin, president of Peer-Directed Projects Center, added: "We welcome the opportunity to work more closely with the Free Software Foundation. Licensing that preserves freedom is essential to the health and success of peer-directed projects. The Free Software Foundation's pivotal role in advocating software freedom makes it a valued contributor to the community." _
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To all of the members of the GNU project who've spent so much time with us so far: thank you for your support, and welcome officially to **freenode**!