Merge commit '96611f76b833159bafeab3443229dfa690178d92' into master-news_next

Conflicts:
	news/2010-03-31.mdwn

1 files changed, 35 insertions, 23 deletions

diff --git a/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn b/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn
index 84070cbf..ba339dc9 100644
--- a/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn
+++ b/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ title yourself of course -- but surely this isn't hard, if you were able to
 come up with your own project idea :-)
 
 Submitting the application form is only part of the deal: we expect a few other
-things on top of that. Lacking these, the application is not complete, and we
+things on top of that, as explained below. This is important, so please take
+it seriously -- without these things, the application is not complete, and we
 won't consider it.
 
 One of the things we expect is that you contact us directly as soon as possible
@@ -30,41 +31,44 @@ One of the things we expect is that you contact us directly as soon as possible
 in particular allows for very informal conversations.
 
 (Note though that we are not all in the same time zone, and people generally
-don't stare at the IRC screen all the time -- it can take quite a long time
-until somebody replies: even several hours. Don't get discouraged by that: Just
+don't stare at the IRC screen all the time: it can take quite a long time
+until somebody replies -- even several hours. Don't get discouraged by that. Just
 be patient and hang on, or try again later.)
 
 Contacting us as soon as possible is crucial, as regular communication is the
 single most important factor for a successful GSoC project. We need to see that
-you are able and willing to talk to us regularily. Also it allows us getting to
-know you much better than the application form alone could.
+you are able and willing to talk to us regularly. Also, we get to
+know you much better this way than what the application form alone would allow us to.
 
-You shouldn't be at a loss for reason to contact us. You ought to discuss your
-project and application with us for exmple: You will gain a much better idea
-about the project, our expectations etc. -- in short, you will be able to
-submit a better application right from the beginnig, saving both yourself and
-us some tedious roundtrips :-)
+You shouldn't be at a loss for reasons to contact us. You ought to discuss your
+project and application with us for example -- you will gain a much better idea
+about the project, our expectations etc. In short, you will be able to
+submit a better application right from the beginning, saving both yourself and
+us some tedious round trips :-)
 
 Also, if you really want to get involved with the Hurd project, there are
-surely many things you will want to know :-) All in all, you should have ample
+surely many things you will want to know -- after all, it's a fascinating
+project, with a fascinating architecture etc., right? :-)
+
+All in all, you should have ample
 causes to get in touch during the application period. Bonus points if you also
 participate in discussions not directly related to your project.
 
 The other thing necessary to complete your application is making a change to
-some part of the Hurd code, and submitting a patch with the change. (If you are
+some part of the Hurd code, and submitting a patch implementing that change. (If you are
 not sure what that means, ask us!)
 
 This is important, as it shows that you have everything set up to start hacking
-on the project (source code, tool chain, testing environment etc.), and that
-you have all kinds of qualifications necessary to successfully finish the
-project: general programming abilities; working in the Hurd environment;
+on the project (source code, tool chain, testing environment etc.); and that
+you have all kinds of qualifications necessary to successfully finish your
+project: general programming skills; working in the Hurd environment;
 submitting patches and reacting to feedback; finding and/or asking for any
 information you need; and so on.
 
 Don't get us wrong: We absolutely do *not* demand that you have and know all
 this up front. After all, the idea of GSoC is to *introduce* you to free
 software development in general, and to our project specifically :-) We are
-willing to help you with anything you will need to create the patch -- you just
+eager to help you with anything you will need to create the patch -- you just
 need to ask!
 
 We actively encourage you to contact us whenever you have any doubts. Don't be
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ afraid that we will think worse of you when you ask too much. On the contrary:
 this is an occasion for you to show us that whenever there is something you
 don't know yet, you are able to learn quickly, and know how to ask for help :-)
 
-As for the kind of change we want: Ideally, it would be some real improvement
+As for the kind of change we want: ideally, it would be some real improvement
 (bug fix or new feature) in a part of the Hurd related to the specific project
 you want to work on. (This is not always possible though -- in that case, a
 useful change to some unrelated part of the Hurd would also do, or perhaps some
@@ -101,9 +105,17 @@ you are unsure about something.
 
 And now that you are prepared to face the enemy, here we go :-)
 
+* Please supply your contact information here: full name, email address, IRC
+nick, Jabber ID, phone number, etc. -- anything we might need to recognize you
+and to keep in touch.
+
+* Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, what do you do, how did
+you get here... Don't write a long essay here -- just a bunch of basic facts
+you think we should know, so we get some idea whom we are talking to :-)
+
 * Please describe the task of the project you want to work on, in your own
 words. Be as specific as possible. It's not sufficient to rephrase the
-description from the project ideas page; show us that you actually understand
+description from the project ideas page -- show us that you actually understand
 what this task involves! Read the available documentation (and possibly code)
 if necessary. And don't hesitate to ask us if you have any doubts :-)
 
@@ -116,7 +128,7 @@ ready to be merged to mainline. Experience shows that adding the "final
 touches" necessary for that, tends to take up quite a lot of time -- there are
 always some bugs here and there, some misunderstandings about how things are
 supposed to work, build system issues, missing documentation, forgotten bits,
-and so on. Thus, the schedule should suppose that a larger part of the main
+and so on. Thus, the schedule should assume that a larger part of the main
 implementation work will be done by midterm!
 
 Also note that by the beginning of the summer session, you need to be able to
@@ -162,12 +174,12 @@ the application process.
 
 * Do you have a permanent internet connection, especially during the time of
 the summer session? Are you able and willing to hang out on the Hurd IRC
-channel regularily? (As in: Running the IRC client more or less permanently and
+channel regularly? (As in: Running the IRC client more or less permanently and
 checking for activity now and then.) If it turns out that your mentor lives in
 a different time zone, could you shift your day/night rhythm to better match
 that of your mentor and other Hurd developers?
 
-Hint: Hanging out on the channel regularily during the application process
+Hint: Hanging out on the channel regularly during the application process
 would be a good start :-)
 
 * When does your university term end, when are your exams, and when does the
@@ -190,8 +202,8 @@ intend to make sure you will be able to dedicate sufficient time to your
 project nevertheless?
 
 Please be open about this, and also mention things you are not yet sure about.
-We can be flexible about time arrangements; but we need to know about any
-possible obstacles up front.
+We can be flexible about time arrangements; but we absolutely need to know about any
+possible obstacles up front. Surprises on that score are not acceptable.
 
 * How do you intend to make sure that your code will keep on being maintained
 and supported properly after the end of the GSoC program?