Getting hg into GSoC 2013

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

I have just written an application for GSoC 2013:

    http://mercurial.selenic.com/wiki/SummerOfCode/Application2013

I can start submitting it tomorrow to Google, and the deadline is
Friday March 29. Please read it and fix whatever you think needs to be
fixed.

A few important points:

* I still need a backup admin. This is mostly a figurehead in case I
fail to do my part of the job as an admin. I don't expect to have any
trouble fulfilling these duties.

* Can someone who's been involved in the past say what's happened with
past students and how well they did?

* Do we need a student application template? This seems like a bit too
much bureaucracy to me.

* Is everyone cool with the diversity statement and saying how we will
welcome more women? Natosha, are you comfortable doing any sort of
outreach or mentoring towards this goal?

I'll next start working on the all-important ideas page, and this part
really needs to shine. Google is looking for a healthy mix of ideas
here that can appeal to all kinds of students. It is a good thing that
we have highly technical ideas and also higher-level things like GUI
work.

To respond to a few points from mpm...

On 17 March 2013 17:20, Matt Mackall <mpm at selenic.com> wrote:
> We were under the PSF umbrella the last time around because we were
> _rejected_ on our own (after several years of being accepted and having
> mostly-good outcomes).

I see. I added a short statement about this in the application.

> From past experience, we're much more likely to face a shortage of
> top-notch candidates than a shortage of slots.

Then I think we're not doing enough advertising. I'll try to do some
on my own, but we all should be looking out for places to attract more
people. If any of you are near a university or college, perhaps you
could take some time to go there and do a GSoC presentation and talk
about your involvement with Mercurial. It can be short, five minutes
is enough to pique their interest. I've managed to attract students
for Octave this way these past two years.

> I don't know how much time I'll have to spend on a GSoC effort this
> year, but I strongly advise that we make sure:
>
> - every candidate pre-demonstrates an ability to work in our framework
> by submitting a bugfix patch
> - every candidate declares that they are working on GSoC full-time with
> no other work or study commitments
> - mentors discuss and relay weekly grade feedback so that no one is
> surprised when they are failed

I've written these recommendations into the application. I'll rework
them elsewhere into the wiki later.

- Jordi G. H.