[Soc-coordination] let's look for _new_ Debian contributors!

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

Let's attack a recurrent GSoC subject, while we are still on time.

On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 11:13:25PM +0000, Obey Arthur Liu wrote:
> The program is a unique opportunity for Debian and eager to learn
> students to meet each other and work together for the duration of a
> summer. Often this has been the beginning of a great relation,
> bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the Project.

Indeed!  So, as a corollary, it is pointless to hire students that are
already active Debian contributors. That at least is my personal
feeling, even though past discussions show that it is shared by a good
deal of project members.

I don't want to rehearse here and now the pro and cons of allowing
pre-existing contributors, the interested reader can find both positions
detailed starting from the pointers below (kindly offered by Anthony
Towns in a recent, though unrelated thread on -vote):

    http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2009/04/msg00424.html
    http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2009/04/msg00431.html
    http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2009/04/msg00441.html

My desire is that we take a decision, so that it is clear what is our
position on this. As a start, I believe that the Debian GSoC admins have
the right to decide on this, consulting whoever they might like (this
mailing lists seem like a good start, though). Once they have a
position, that position can be communicated to -project (looking for
vetos?). I don't mind discussing that on -project directly neither, I
simply don't volunteer to follow the thread there, so I'm not posting
there in the first place.

An important degree of freedom in making the choice is what does qualify
someone as being a "Debian contributor". Of course it is a gray area,
but given that we have the two clearly defined status of DM and DD, I
believe we should state something like "DMs and DDs cannot apply as GSoC
students" (or the contrary, of course, if the choice will be that we do
want them).

Cheers.

PS Apologies for raising the subject so close to the start of this year
   GSoC, but I believe there is still time to clarify our position on
   this.

-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli -o- PhD in Computer Science \ PostDoc @ Univ. Paris 7
zack@{upsilon.cc,pps.jussieu.fr,debian.org} -<>- http://upsilon.cc/zack/
Dietro un grande uomo c'è ..|  .  |. Et ne m'en veux pas si je te tutoie
sempre uno zaino ...........| ..: |.... Je dis tu à tous ceux que j'aime
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