The document provides a comprehensive guide to participating in Google Summer of Code (GSoC), detailing the program's value, application timeline, project selection, and proposal writing. It emphasizes the importance of communication and etiquette within the open-source community, while offering tips on finding organizations, writing strong proposals, and making the most of the experience. Additionally, it highlights post-GSoC opportunities and stresses the significance of professionalism throughout the process.

1. google summer of code
101
sri harsha.P - cooking bits
from past 6 years!

2. 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.

3. it’s not child’s play!

4. why gsoC ?
•
money? …YES!
•
but something
more important:
•
opportunity,
expertise,
recommendations,
fame and glory.

5. 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?

6. what do you need?

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

11. 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,…

12. communication is the key
•
mailing lists dev, users.
•
internet relay
chat [irc]
•
issue trackers.
•
forums and wiki.
•
blogs.
•
personal mails,
Skype, conference
calls.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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?

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. future contributions
•
willingness to contribute
after gsoc?
•
org’s need committers and
long term volunteers.

21. be an ideal candidate
•
coding skills.
•
past
contributions.
•
attitude.
•
learning ability.
•
communication[co
herent, rapid
and meaningful].

22. experience
•
adept in any language?
•
prove it to the dev’s!
•
contribute before gsoc to
increase your acceptance
rates.
•
assist other students.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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?

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. •
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.

29. 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.

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

31. “I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not
trying.”
–Michael Jordan

32. 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

33. 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

34. fork me @github.com/applecool;
tweet @shellzero
drop a mail: kmitharsha@gmail.com