Re: [GSoC] Contributor candidate introduction

[Christian Couder <christian.couder@gmail.com>]

On Wed, Apr 6, 2022 at 10:12 PM Kaartic Sivaraam
<kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 06/04/22 21:13, Taylor Blau wrote:
> > Thanks for this information, it's exactly the sort of thing that I was
> > hoping for from your response ;-).

;-) Note that my answers are based on what I know from previous years.
Rules sometimes change from year to year though, so everyone is
welcome to check.

> > Like I said in my other message, let's play it by ear whether or not we
> > need to split the project. If we get closer to the next deadline and we
> > have >1 potential GSoC students interested, then I'm happy to split it
> > up.
> >
> > One thing that I worry about a little bit is that I think a new on-disk
> > .bitmap format will be necessary for both of the projects that Plato and
> > Shubham are interested in (though I could be wrong). Since GSoC forbids
> > students from working together, it may be difficult to feasibly split
> > the bitmaps project into multiple, smaller ones.
> >
> > That said, if we do end up splitting the bitmaps GSoC project in two,
> > when would we need to do it by?
>
> To the best of my knowledge, Google does not require the proposal ideas to
> be laid out by organization before the proposal deadline (which is April 19).
> This gives the flexibility for mentors and GSoC contributors to collaborate
> and come up with a project ideas that are not present in the initial ideas
> list and write proposals for them.

I agree with this, but please keep in mind that in
https://git.github.io/General-Application-Information/ we ask
applicants to "Discuss their project by posting drafts of their
application on the mailing-list long before the deadline." So
splitting the bitmap project should be done soon, so that applicants
have time to prepare and discuss their proposals based on the splitted
project.

See also the "Note about getting involved early" section in the
document, which has information about what applicants should do when
they get involved quite late.

On https://google.github.io/gsocguides/mentor/selecting-a-student.html
there is also:

"Don’t Be That Person: Don’t even think about selecting a GSoC
contributor with whom you’ve had no contact. You should establish an
active back-and-forth prior to making a decision. If you or your GSoC
contributor have failed to make this happen, do not proceed."

Best,
Christian.