Summer of Code for OSUOSL

Note

These pages remain as an archive for informational purposes; OSUOSL is not currently participating in Google Summer of Code.

Welcome to the Oregon State University Open Source Lab Google Summer of Code proposal guide page. If you’re hoping to participate in Summer of Code with us, please look over our the Ideas Page for this year for some guidance on what we’re hoping to work on this year.

Student and Prospective Applicant Information

Thank you for your interest in the Open Source Lab’s Summer of Code proposals. Here at the OSL we have a two-part goal. First, we are a strong supporter of the open source community and want to help as many projects as we can. Second, we are an educational institution that tries to incorporate teaching and learning into as much of what we do as possible. The Google Summer of Code helps us do both.

We highly recommend you read the GSoC Student Guide to ensure your success in writing your proposal and potentially being an accepted student in our organization. Specifically please check out the writing a proposal guide and the proposal examples so that you get all of the information that we need.

Project proposals

Proposals that are written poorly or in an unprofessional manner, use improper grammar or spelling, or do not answer all the questions in our application template completely will be rejected.

It is important to note that none of these projects are cast in stone. We very much want to work with our students on developing and shaping the project. Think of this page as a general outline of some of the things we want to do. Don’t be afraid to propose something that does not exactly match what we have below.

You should also read the GSOC student guide and GSOC FAQ.

Expectations

It’s important when starting a new relationship like this that both sides are aware of the expectations involved. We’re a pretty easygoing bunch here at the OSL - we’re far more interested in building neat stuff than we are about rigidly following some policies and procedures manual. However, we do have some pretty simple expectations:

  • Good communication is vital. If we accept your proposal, we expect you to be talking to your mentor on at least a weekly basis. The method of communication - phone, e-mail, IRC, carrier pigeon- is up to you and your mentor, but the weekly contact is absolutely mandatory. Exceptions are possible, but only if pre-arranged. If we haven’t heard from you in a week, your mentor will attempt to contact you with a friendly reminder. If we don’t hear from you after the reminder, we’ll send you a formal warning. If you don’t respond to the formal warning, it is likely we will be submitting a negative evaluation to Google recommending you be dropped from the program. It sounds dire, but it’s easy to avoid: just keep in touch.

  • Commit early and commit often. As mentors, we need to see the code you’re working on. It’s really difficult to help someone if we can’t see what you’re doing. We won’t require anything as rigid as scheduled code check-ins, but the more often you share what you’re working on with the rest of us, the better things will go. There is one caveat: we absolutely have to have some code from you before the mid-term evaluation. We need something upon which to base our evaluation.

  • You’re part of the team. We’re very egalitarian here at the OSL. We firmly believe that once someone is a member of the OSL you are always a member, regardless of whether you are with us as an SoC student, a community volunteer, or as an employee of the Lab. Before, during, or after the Summer of Code. Much of what we do is driven by consensus and we’re not strong on hierarchy, so please don’t hesitate to jump right in and express your opinions!

Contact Us

Questions? Concerns? Want to ask us if we’d be interested in an application?

IRC - Drop in and visit us in #osuosl-gsoc on irc.freenode.net. If you’re not sure who to talk to ping Ramereth, kennric, or pwnguin in #osuosl-gsoc.

Our timezone is UTC -7, the best times to find us on IRC are between 16:00 and 23:00 UTC. We will usually see your comments outside of those times, but might not be able to reply immediately.

EMAIL - To contact us via email, please Subscribe to [email protected] This mailing list is the most reliable way to reach us when we aren’t on IRC, it’s also a great way to connect with other GSOC students and to share ideas.

Tip

Hint: if we’ve already talked to you about your proposal, it helps your chances for acceptance. We’re happy to give feedback and suggestions on proposals, so it’s a good idea talk to us before you submit it.