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diff --git a/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn b/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 00000000..ba339dc9 --- /dev/null +++ b/community/gsoc/student_application_form.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,211 @@ +[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]] + +[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable +id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this +document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or +any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant +Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license +is included in the section entitled +[[GNU Free Documentation License|/fdl]]."]]"""]] + +Before we get to the actual application form, some important remarks about the +application process -- please read them carefully. + +First of all, please give your application a useful title. In many cases, you +can simply copy it from the project ideas list. Some ideas -- like language +bindings for example -- are rather broad, and require an additional specifier. +(e.g. "Python Bindings") + +If you are proposing a project not on the ideas list, you have to find a useful +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, 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 +(preferably even before you send the application form), on our developer +[[mailing lists]] and [[IRC]] channel. Don't be afraid -- we won't bite :-) IRC +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 +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 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 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 -- 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 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 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 +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 +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 +(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 +not strictly useful change to the part you will be working on.) + +The [[project_ideas]] page has more information on this. In either case, please +contact us, so we can discuss it, and together come up with something suitable. + +Note that we do not place any demands on the size of the change. Even a very +simple modification suffices to meet the minimum requirements -- after all, the +amount of time available for working on this before the end of the student +selection process is quite short; and you are not obliged to do a substantial +amount of work before you get accepted. (But if you feel more ambitious, that's +fine of course :-) ) + +Now to the actual questions in the application form. Please answer *all* +questions -- we are asking them for a reason. (Whether you answer them one by +one, or all in a larger piece of prose, is up to you.) + +If some of these questions look strange to you and/or you don't quite know what +to answer, don't despair. This is not some kind of exam -- we do not expect you +to have good answers for all of them up front. (In fact, we would be very +surprised if anyone did...) The idea is more that you learn the answers before +the end of the application process -- with our help. Please talk to us whenever +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 +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 :-) + +* Give a preliminary schedule for your work. The exact dates will obviously be +only guesses; but try to be specific about all the individual steps you will +have to do to complete the task. + +Note: By the end of the summer session, the code is expected to be in a state +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 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 +work on the task at more or less full speed -- meaning that you need to get +familiar with the code, think through the design (and discuss it with us) etc. +already in the interim period *before* the summer session. + +* What things will you have to learn to be able to complete the project? What +do you already know? + +In case you wonder what this question is getting at: Again, we want you to show +us that you really understand what kind of work the task involves. As always, +we encourage you to ask us for pointers if you are not sure how to go about +this :-) + +* Why did you choose this project idea? What do you consider most appealing +about it? + +* Please describe your previous programming experience in detail. What +languages do you use? How long have you been programming, and how much? What +kind of programs have you written? What kind of programming (and related) work +are you enjoying most? + +* Have you been involved in any free software ("Open Source") projects yet? +Which projects, how long, and in what way have you been involved? Have you been +active in the Hurd project/Hurd community before? + +* Please briefly describe the Hurd, including the goals, architecture etc. +Also, what makes you interested in the Hurd? Why do you want to work on it? +What is your vision of it's future development? + +We ask this because we want to make sure that people working on the Hurd do +understand what it is all about. You will probably need to read some +documentation -- as always, you are encouraged to ask for pointers, and +generally to talk to us about it :-) + +* Are you subscribed to the bug-hurd@gnu.org mailing list? (See +http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-hurd ) + +Hint: This is mostly a rhetoric question. If you haven't subscribed yet, now +would be a good time to do it! You will need it to communicate with us during +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 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 regularly during the application process +would be a good start :-) + +* When does your university term end, when are your exams, and when does the +next term begin? + +We need to know up front whether there are any overlaps with the GSoC time +frame (especially the summer session), so we can make a plan how to deal with +it properly. + +* How much time do you intend to spend on your GSoC project per day/week during +the summer months? + +Note that according to the GSoC FAQ, the project is meant to be "your major +occupation during the summer". In other words, you should treat it more or less +as a normal full-time job. + +* What other major activities will you engage in during the summer? (Moving +apartments, longer vacations, other obligations, etc.) If any, how do you +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 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? + +* Anything else you want to add to your application? |