+@node Intro, Highest Priority, Top, Top
+@chapter About the GNU Task List
+
+If you did not obtain this file directly from the GNU project and
+recently, please check for a newer version. You can ftp the task list
+from any GNU FTP host in directory @file{/pub/gnu/tasks/}. The task
+list is available there in several different formats: @file{tasks.text},
+@file{tasks.texi}, @file{tasks.info}, and @file{tasks.dvi}. The GNU
+HURD task list is also there in file @file{tasks.hurd}.
+@c to fix an overfill, join the paragraphs -len
+The task list is also available on the GNU World Wide Web server:
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/prep/tasks_toc.html}.
+
+If you start working steadily on a project, please let @email{gvc@@gnu.org}
+know. We might have information that could help you; we'd also like to
+send you the GNU coding standards.
+
+Because of the natural tendency for most volunteers to write programming
+tools or programming languages, we have a comparative shortage of
+applications useful for non-programmer users. Therefore, we ask you to
+consider writing such a program.
+
+Typically, a new program that does a completely new job advances
+the GNU project, and the free software community, more than an
+improvement to an existing program.
+
+Typically, new features or new programs advance the free software
+community more, in the long run, than porting existing programs. One
+reason is that portable new features and programs benefit people on many
+platforms, not just one. At the same time, there tend to be many
+volunteers for porting---so your help will be more valuable in other
+areas, where volunteers are more scarce.
+
+Typically, it is more useful to extend a program in functionality than
+to improve performance. Users who use the new functionality will
+appreciate it very much, if they use it; but even when they benefit from
+a performance improvement, they may not consider it very important.
+
+@node Highest Priority, Documentation, Intro, Top
+@chapter Highest Priority
+
+This task list mentions a large number of tasks that would be more or
+less useful. With luck, at least one of them will inspire you to start
+writing. It's better for you to work on any task that inspires you than
+not write free software at all.
+
+But if you would like to work on what we need most, here is a list of
+high priority projects.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+If you are good at writing documentation, please do that.
+
+@item
+If you are very good at C programming and interested in kernels, you can
+help develop the GNU HURD, the kernel for the GNU system. Please have a
+look at @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd.html}, and
+then get a copy of the latest HURD task list from:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/prep/tasks.hurd.html}, via the World Wide
+Web.
+
+@item
+@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/tasks/tasks.hurd}, via anonymous FTP.
+
+@item
+@email{gnu@@gnu.org} via e-mail.
+
+@end itemize
+
+@item
+If you are a Scheme fan, you can help develop Guile. Please have a look
+at the URL @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/guile.html}
+and then contact the Guile developers at @email{guile@@gnu.org}.
+
+@item
+A package to convert programs written using MS Access into Scheme,
+making use of a free data base system and the GTK toolkit.
+
+@ignore
+@item
+Help develop XmHTML. See @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~ripley/XmHTML/}.
+@end ignore
+
+@item
+Help develop software to emulate Windows NT on top of GNU systems.
+For example, you could help work on Willows Twin.
+See @uref{http://www.willows.com/}.
+
+@ignore The Kermit developers say they will provide a free program
+to do this.
+@item
+Implement the Kermit data transfer protocol. (See below.)
+@end ignore
+
+@ignore This is being done (Harmony)
+@item
+Develop a free compatible replacement for Qt, a GUI toolkit library. Qt
+is not free software, because users are prohibited from distributing
+modified versions. Thus, Qt cannot be included in a free operating
+system (adding it would make the system as a whole non-free).
+
+But some developers are writing free applications that use Qt and cannot
+run without it. These programs, although free software, are useless for
+free operating systems because there is no way to make them run.