[PATCH 1/2] Ask students to include a link to their microproject in their application

[PATCH 1/2] Ask students to include a link to their microproject in their application

[Matthieu Moy]

It makes it easier for us when reviewing/selecting candidates.

Signed-off-by: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
---
(Sending this to the list for comments, but now I can even do the push
myself :-) )

 SoC-2015-Ideas.md | 4 ++++
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)

diff --git a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
index 86de476..d2b7d75 100644
--- a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
+++ b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ way for us to get experience with applicants, but it will also help
 applicants become familiar with Git's development and submission
 process.
 
+Please, include link(s) to the mailing-list discussion(s) related to
+your microproject in your application (e.g. linking to
+[gmane](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git)).
+
 ## Summer of code main project ideas
 
 **Students**: Please consider these ideas as starting points for
-- 
2.3.0.157.g79e124b

[PATCH 2/2] Disclaimer about the number of slots.

[Matthieu Moy]

This is debatable, but this may discourrage students who picked Git more
or less at random. If I read
https://code.google.com/p/google-summer-of-code/wiki/ProgramStatistics
correctly, the average number of slots per organization is closer to 10
than 2, hence students have better chance to get accepted in other
organizations.

OTOH, 2 slots is not so much worse than the 3 we had last year. And now
that Dscho is volunteer to mentor a GSoC too, we may actually end up
accepting 3 students.

Signed-off-by: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
---
So, sending this in case other people think it's a good idea, but I
won't fight for it in case you don't think it is.

 SoC-2015-Ideas.md | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
index d2b7d75..23c8313 100644
--- a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
+++ b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ Please, include link(s) to the mailing-list discussion(s) related to
 your microproject in your application (e.g. linking to
 [gmane](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git)).
 
+## Note about the number of slots
+
+In 2015, the Git organization has very limited mentoring capacity.
+We will probably be able to accept 2 students only this year.
+
 ## Summer of code main project ideas
 
 **Students**: Please consider these ideas as starting points for
-- 
2.3.0.157.g79e124b

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Disclaimer about the number of slots.

[Jeff King]

On Wed, Mar 04, 2015 at 08:19:31AM +0100, Matthieu Moy wrote:

> So, sending this in case other people think it's a good idea, but I
> won't fight for it in case you don't think it is.
> [...]
> --- a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
> +++ b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
> @@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ Please, include link(s) to the mailing-list discussion(s) related to
>  your microproject in your application (e.g. linking to
>  [gmane](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git)).
>  
> +## Note about the number of slots
> +
> +In 2015, the Git organization has very limited mentoring capacity.
> +We will probably be able to accept 2 students only this year.

I'm on the fence. I don't mind giving a warning, but I'm not sure that
this isn't just as likely to scare off students we want. :) Maybe
something along the lines of "If you are really excited about working on
git, we would love to see your application; if you are just looking for
a random project, there may be a lot of competition for a small number
of slots". Except I am not quite sure how to phrase "just looking for a
random project" that does not sound quite so demeaning.

-Peff

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Disclaimer about the number of slots.

[Matthieu Moy]

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:

> Maybe something along the lines of "If you are really excited about
> working on git, we would love to see your application; if you are just
> looking for a random project, there may be a lot of competition for a
> small number of slots". Except I am not quite sure how to phrase "just
> looking for a random project" that does not sound quite so demeaning.

Yes, that's the idea, but I didn't find a way to say "if you're one of
the great students we're looking for, please come in, otherwise go
away", so I went for a neutral wording that would let the reader infer
it by themselves ;-).

-- 
Matthieu Moy
http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~moy/

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Disclaimer about the number of slots.

[Junio C Hamano]

Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@grenoble-inp.fr> writes:

> Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:
>
>> Maybe something along the lines of "If you are really excited about
>> working on git, we would love to see your application; if you are just
>> looking for a random project, there may be a lot of competition for a
>> small number of slots". Except I am not quite sure how to phrase "just
>> looking for a random project" that does not sound quite so demeaning.
>
> Yes, that's the idea, but I didn't find a way to say "if you're one of
> the great students we're looking for, please come in, otherwise go
> away", so I went for a neutral wording that would let the reader infer
> it by themselves ;-).

What is this?  Matt and Jeff's comedy hour?

You two made me laugh hard ;-)

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Disclaimer about the number of slots.

[Matthieu Moy]

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:

> On Wed, Mar 04, 2015 at 08:19:31AM +0100, Matthieu Moy wrote:
>
>> So, sending this in case other people think it's a good idea, but I
>> won't fight for it in case you don't think it is.
>> [...]
>> --- a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
>> +++ b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
>> @@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ Please, include link(s) to the mailing-list discussion(s) related to
>>  your microproject in your application (e.g. linking to
>>  [gmane](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git)).
>>  
>> +## Note about the number of slots
>> +
>> +In 2015, the Git organization has very limited mentoring capacity.
>> +We will probably be able to accept 2 students only this year.
>
> I'm on the fence.

OK, there's no clear consensus but no real objection either. I went
ahead and pushed my patches.

We can still reword or cancel my patch.

-- 
Matthieu Moy
http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~moy/

Re: [PATCH 1/2] Ask students to include a link to their microproject in their application

[Jeff King]

On Wed, Mar 04, 2015 at 08:19:30AM +0100, Matthieu Moy wrote:

> --- a/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
> +++ b/SoC-2015-Ideas.md
> @@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ way for us to get experience with applicants, but it will also help
>  applicants become familiar with Git's development and submission
>  process.
>  
> +Please, include link(s) to the mailing-list discussion(s) related to
> +your microproject in your application (e.g. linking to
> +[gmane](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git)).

Yeah, this is a good idea.

In fact, we can provide an application template to students via the
Melange system. I don't recall doing so in the past few years, but we
did use this feature at one point:

  https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SoC2007Template

However, I don't recall it leading to especially better-quality
applications (in fact, it may have made things worse because many
students filled it out in a very perfunctory way and then assumed that
was enough).

-Peff