# Debian and GSoC (Debconf 13 BoF)

## What is Google Summer of Code


## Introductions

- current students
- current mentors
- previous students, mentors
- admins
- interested persons

Present are a varied mix of all the above categories.

## Goals

### What are goals of Debian participation in GSoC

- producing infrastructure
- recruiting
- education/training of students
- your goal here?
- spreading and promoting Free Software

### Are we achieving those goals?

- (non)-success stories?
  - two projects on m.d.n last year, not merged yet
    ; students still (somewhat) active
  - sylvestre: some good success, some early failure.
    keep expectations low
  - lucas: udd came out of GSoC
  - Sorina, chris, code merged, both here 
  - level of work by mentors varies, 
    some students better than other at feedback,
    getting work done.
- new Debian Contributors?

- ideas: 
	Census of GSoC
        Helping mentors help students integrate into Debian
        Guide for mentors?
        Plan for a learning period?
        periodic IRC/videochat
        Students are more productive when the mentor is least busy: regular contact (even short) is important.
	The reports are an important part of the communication with the Debian project.

## Connection with Outreach Program for Women

- description of the program
	very similar to Google of Code. Reserved for women (not only students). Open to non-coding tasks and coding tasks alike. Funded by the organisations themselves instead of Google (...)
	2 sessions / year (one sync'd with GSoC, one in the winter)
	The structure of the two programs are similar enough that the projects can be shared between the two (during the summer session).
- how did it work this year?
	Maybe the admins for the two programs should be just one team, which will obviously ease coordination between them.
	One student was picked, and is currently working on a GSoC project (i.e. Google funds)
- how do the two programs keep on cohabitating?
	Main issue with OPW is raising the money to fund the projects...
	Debian is also really bad at collecting non-coding tasks, which makes it hard to add non-GSoC tasks to the summer edition of the program.
	There is also Google code-in that can allow Debian to submit non-coding tasks (e.g. manpages, translations, design)
	In the past, we have tried to participate in it, but the lack of mentors makes it difficult to do so. We need (more) mentors for Google Code-In!
	https://wiki.debian.org/GoogleCodeIn2011
	Asheesh is volunteering to "centralize" the fundraising efforts for OPW.

## Logistics/Adminstration

- How are we (admins) doing?
	zack will forward any complaints.
- What should we change next year?
	The weekly report process is a bit time-consuming
	Just to add here: most of the students (except one) were not "complaining" about the weekly reports, based on the feedback we have from the mid-term evaluations.
	The proposals are comprehensive, which can lead to copy-pasting.
     - asheesh: log post every week
     - live weekly reports with mentors and students?

## Money

- What should Debian do with the $500 per successful student it receives from Google?
  Free beers @Debconf ?
  Get the mentors (and admins, yaya!) to DebConf and free beer -- what can go wrong with that?
  Travel expenses for event / sprint (unrelated to gsoc or not) ?
  	Google funds that already, if we ask (during the program)
  Sponsor the trip of mentors so that they can attend DebConf.
	Ditto


My network is garbling the text. yay.