Google Launches Summer of Code 2007 74
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like Google has announced that it will be doing Summer of Code again this year. The program looks pretty much the same this year but they have built time into the program schedule for students to get up to speed before they start coding. Nice job, Google."
project benefits (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:project benefits (Score:2, Interesting)
So basically, from my POV as a pretty interested gaim user, SOC has prevented the integration of v&v into gaim and there has yet to be a new (non-beta) release since before SOC began. Screw any more features added to gaim except v&v and fixed file transfers. Those are the two things preventing many people from fully switching from the official clients of other protocols. I hate having Skype and AIM installed just so I can video chat with non-power users. For the same reason I cannot switch to Linux.
But hey, I guess Google taught the SOC coders well -- don't push out finished products; instead, just push out betas and keep them beta for years [google.com] and when users complain: "Hey, it's just beta."
Re:project benefits (Score:3, Interesting)
This is the same as if you hired a consultant for 3 months.
The results you get from the students are a direct result of the support the mentor and the community around the project provide.
Also a large influence is the students ability to take advantage of both the community and the mentor. But this is hopefully less an issue as the mentor gets to chose the student.
Its only in its third year now. And I imagine the mentors have had no experience being a real mentor. And those that do, this is much different then how they normally operate.
Most people say "read the list", they expect you if you wish to join the community to put out the effort. Projects that fail I think are a result of mentors failing to grasp the key difference.
Summer of Code is 3-months. And after that three months expect the person to disappear.
So you can't say be a mentor by just going around saying "check the mailing list".
You have to be a mentor the same way a normal company deals with a contractor.
The students have to be helped and hit the ground running with the communities backing.
So far a lot of failures I've seen is this lack of understanding.
Some do, but by and large students are not joining the community.
So many projects complain that now they don't have a 'maintainer' for the code the student wrote.
Yeah, well, what do you expect? You hired a contractor.
The contract is up. You now have to maintain it.
I believe once this difference is understood, and once mentors and the community around the project realize this as well, there will be a lot more projects the succeed rather then fail.
Re:project benefits (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Not helping the problem... (Score:3, Interesting)
High School (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Nerd much? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Nerd much? (Score:3, Interesting)