google summer of code 101

sri harsha.P - cooking bits from past 6 years!

agenda

• why gsoc?

• before you begin.

• right project?

• how to integrate yourself into the community?

• how to apply?

• being a competitive applicant.

• wrapping up in style.

it’s not child’s play!

why gsoC ?

• money? …YES!

• but something more important:

• opportunity, expertise, recommendations, fame and glory.

gsoc stats over the years

• Over 7,500 successful student participants since 2005 from 97 countries

• 50 million lines of code produced by students

• over 7,000 mentors from over 100 countries worldwide

• 440 open source projects

• 2,010 universities represented

• success rate is pretty high.. isn't it?

what do you need?

timeline

• Oct 8th 2013: program announced.

• feb 3rd -14th: org’s application period.

• feb 24th: list of accepted org’s.

• feb 24th - 10th Mar: students discussing project ideas.

• mar 10th - 21st: student application period.

timeline after acceptance

• apr 21st: accepted students announcement.

• may 19th: coding begins.

• jun 23rd- 27th: mid evaluations.

• aug 11th: suggested pencils down.

• aug 18th: firm pencils down.

• aug 22nd: final evaluation deadline. submitting code samples.

• aug 25th: final results announced.

pre- planning

• gsoc is all about being open source.

• get your basics and motives right.

• etiquette’s.

• sign up to the lists.

• joining relevant channel.

technologies

• version control systems - git, cvs, svn, mercurial,…

• build tools - ant, maven,…

• ide’s - intellij idea, eclipse, aptana studio, netbeans,…

• bug trackers - bugzilla, jira, trac,…

communication is the key

• mailing lists - dev, users.

• internet relay chat [irc]

• issue trackers.

• forums and wiki.

• blogs.

• personal mails, Skype, conference calls.

network etiquettes• creating a good impression is everything!

• be specific and clear.

• google before asking.

• be polite.

• be helpful.

• be mature.

• never use caps [unless you are shouting!]

• dnt use sms lang. you will be mocked to embarrassment.

proper addressing over irc/lists

• Address the dev’s and users properly.

• first name is always preferred.

• NO sir, madam, bro, pal even if you know them personally.

• no mr. dr. prof. either.

• be gender neutral. EX:“folks over guys and girls”

• and dont be too personal - use hi instead of dear.

more on mailing lists

• post only to the relevant lists.

• check the mail archives first before asking a question.

• do not use [urgent]/[important] tags.

• do not add attachments.

• do not spam.

• do not post off topics in dev mailing lists.

little more on irc

• be an observer first.

• refer to others using their irc nick.

• create an irc nickname for yourself. ex: hydra

• be patient. do not expect immediate replies.

• do not post bulks of text into irc. They will kick you out of their channel.

• post error logs using paste bin.

how to find an org?

• there are 190 organizations this year.

• first, have a look at them.

• go through their websites.

• check whether they are new or not?

finding the right project

• go through org’s project ideas list.

• talk to the mentors.

• select a project to suit your needs.

• consider your skill set.

• go for the best fit.

• don’t limit yourself to ‘popular’ projects.

writing a good proposal

• spell checking tools - use them.

• do ground work on the project idea.

• good proposal is very crucial.

• be open, even with your proposal.

• cheating in anyway wont help.

future contributions

• willingness to contribute after gsoc?

• org’s need committers and long term volunteers.

be an ideal candidate

• coding skills.

• past contributions.

• attitude.

• learning ability.

• communication[coherent, rapid and meaningful].

experience

• adept in any language?

• prove it to the dev’s!

• contribute before gsoc to increase your acceptance rates.

• assist other students.

applications?

• how to apply? - google melange

• how many can you apply?

• is it restricted to one organization?

• register as a student for GSOC.

• use the projects wiki for draft proposal.

• you can edit it later. You can improve the proposal by taking inputs from your mentors.

• check often for your mentor comments on your proposal.

key points in proposal

• project goals.

• deliverables - code, test cases, documentation…

• rough timeline for the project.

• research which you have done on the project.

• add mockups if you have. - added grade.

• why do you fit? - your skill set.

• list of previous open source contributions and internships if any.

how to write a rough timeline

• finer details.

• break it into periods of 5-6 days.

• testing takes time - assign considerable time for it.

• don’t be over optimistic.

• some projects require considerable work hrs/week. maybe 40?

after submission

• don’t disappear.

• you may be asked to provide additional information.- may be a small interview!!

• start working on the project if you have applied only to a single project.

• be motivated always.

got selected?• YAY! your battle has begun!

• don’t panic. be prompt, be truthful.

• you have one more month - community bonding period.

• mentors are your friends. they are there to help you out.

• keep in touch with the fellow dev’s.

• remember! mentors wont write code or write abstracts or do documentation for you.

• they are here to guide you and tell you what to be done.

• start with small tasks to make your life easy.

• never make your own decisions. - consult your mentor.

• send status updates every day. - do not procrastinate.

• communicate like an engineer! - don’t give stupid reasons.

• keep track of your progress and backup!

• don’t limit your scope to your project.

• work as hard as you can, because gsoc is one job that really pays off.

statutory warning!

• don’t make incoherent excuses.

• don’t vanish without any explanation.

• don’t be slow in responding to emails.

• don’t be unprofessional.

• don’t be lazy.

but most importantly, a word of advice from my previous mentor…..

–Michael Jordan

“I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.”

Life after gsoc

• the end of gsoc program is the inception for great opportunities… if you play your cards right!

• jobs.

• recommendations.

• experience working with foreign clients.

• a positive online presence.

• conferences. speaking opportunities.

• scholarships. chance to get into google :D

resources

• https://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/org/list/public/google/gsoc2014

• http://nrnb.org/gsoc/index.html#ideas-tab

• https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/RES/Summer+Of+Code+2014

• http://www.booki.cc/gsocstudentguide/

• https://developers.google.com/open-source/soc/?csw=1

fork me @github.com/applecool; tweet @shellzero

drop a mail: kmitharsha@gmail.com