Re: [gentoo-dev] One request for the next SoC: non already-devs students

["Alec Warner" <antarus@gentoo.org>]

On 3/2/08, Diego 'Flameeyes' Pettenò <flameeyes@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  I know this is going to stir up quite some discussion, but I do think
>  it's worth trying requesting it at least.
>
>  In the past two years we had quite a few applications from students that
>  were already full-fledged Gentoo developers. I sincerely would like that
>  this year we put as a rule that Gentoo developers cannot partecipate in
>  Summer of Code as students for Gentoo.
>
>  I'm not asking to penalise Gentoo developers are students. But I
>  sincerely think the main goal of Summer of Code is to allow new people
>  to enter the scene of Free Software, to understand how Free Software
>  projects work and so on. Gentoo Developers are already pretty well
>  "inside" this world.

OK

>
>  I think it should be a self-made decision to abstain from applying as a
>  student for what you already partecipate in, but as such concerns don't
>  seem to be widespread (at least as the last two years shown), I'm asking
>  for a formal decision to all the developers. If that is requested, I'm
>  even willing to bring this in front of the council.

The summer of code faq specifically addresses this question; so
obviously it was a concern and they dealt with it.

>
>  Gentoo's ranks are quite reduced nowadays, and a few persons have shown
>  conerns about our current recruiting methods being able to judge clearly
>  technical and social skills, as well as the time one is ready to pour
>  into the project. I think SoC could be used as a pretty good recruiting
>  method: as you are going to work quite a bit with the student, you can
>  easily judge availability and technical and social skills. Leaving SoC
>  applications open to developers means wasting this opportunity.

OK

>
>  There are many other organisations partecipating, I think it would be
>  quite feasible for Gentoo developers wanting to be a student SoC to
>  choose another one, in which they are not involved already. Yes it's
>  easier for them to do something for Gentoo as they are already
>  contributing, but that is not the point of Summer of Code, the point is
>  to introduce new people into projects, not giving money to people to do
>  what they already do.

Your entire argument is based on the assumption that the Summer of
Code program's primary goal is to recruit new developers for Open
Source projects.  While this is one goal I am unsure if holding it
above the others is necessary.

>
>  And just to take a stance, even if this request is to be rejected, I'm
>  not going to mentor a student that is already a Gentoo developer, for
>  sure.

Your choice, as I badly wrote in the guide[1], mentors must be williing.

>
>  So to be clear, I'm not trying to look down to anybody, I don't even
>  want to stop people from being paid for their work. I just wish that we
>  can focus this opportunity to improve the Gentoo project as a whole.

I disagree and I will mentor anyone who meets Google's submission
requirements and who writes a good proposal.

-Alec

[1] http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/userrel/soc/mentoring.xml
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