About the Network

You've reached freenode, a service of Peer-Directed Projects Center (PDPC). freenode provides discussion facilities for the Free and Open Source Software communities, for not-for-profit organizations and for related communities and organizations. In 1998, the network had about 200 users and less than 20 channels. Ten years down the line the network currently peaks at just over 70,000 users, freenode provides facilities to a variety of groups and organizations.

Our 2011 fundraiser has just kicked off. Get involved! Donations help to support the runnings costs of PDPC, the organisation which runs freenode.

Previous years:
We would like to express our thanks to those individual donors and corporate sponsors who made the 2008/2009 fundraiser a massive success! In particular, Canonical Ltd (you know, the company behind Ubuntu, who generously donated £1700.00!).

After a 2+ year break in fundraising it was an overwhelming experience to see so many of you muck in to help us reach our 2008/2009 goal! Your support is invaluable to us and I hope we can continue providing the FOSS communities with useful services for years to come!

Polite Notice to donors regarding renewals:
When you make a one-off donation, your donor cloak will expire after one year. We will attempt to make contact with you on freenode before disabling it, either by private message or MemoServ. This allows you to renew your donation should you wish to continue supporting the PDPC, or to request an unaffiliated or project cloak otherwise.

Should your donation automatically renew, or you manually renew it prior to the expiration date you will simply keep your existing cloak, or should you change levels, have it upgraded to reflect this.

Have you checked out fossevents.org yet? It's designed to bring you a up to date list of events, barcamps, expos, lug meetings.. any event relevant to Free and Open Source Software, across the globe! Have a look for events near you, or list one if you know of one before us or you're involved in organising one!

Peer-Directed Projects Center is a not-for-profit organisation, limited by guarantee and incorporated in England and Wales. Your donations help keep us running.

If you're interested in looking around the network, please find a server and come see us, or have a look at our network policies and project news and philosophy.

freenode is run entirely by volunteers hailing from the wider FOSS communities which we serve. Our combined network staff and development base is made up of around 40 dedicated men and women. We can all be found in #freenode on the network, staff are all voiced and happy to help, or just have a chat with you about what we do and why we do it!

Welcome to freenode!