[Soc-coordination] call for volunteers: Debian liaisons for Google Code-In

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

[ Mail-Followup-To: -project ]

TL;DR: I'm looking for volunteers that will act as Debian Project
liaisons (or "admins") for the Google Code In initiative [1]. Deadline
for project applications is November 1st; we'll miss it unless we have
the volunteers before that date. Feel free to volunteer either on
-project or by mailing me at leader at d.o.

-------

The Google Code In (GCI) initiative [1] is a contest organized by Google
that encourages student participation into Free Software
projects. Compared to the more famous Google Summer of Code (GSOC)
initiative [2], GCI focuses on smaller tasks.

[1] http://code.google.com/gci
[2] http://code.google.com/soc

According to feedback I've received from the Debian liaisons from last
year GCI (thanks a lot, Ana!), GCI students are quite likely to remain
involved into Debian, with higher percentages than GSOC. That outcome is
really valuable for our project.

Additionally, we could use the chance of initiatives like GCI to work on
ways to maintain a list of Debian "easy hacks". As recently shown by the
LibreOffice example, such lists can be very effective in attracting new
contributors to a Free Software project. We have tried in the past
similar initiatives using "gift" tags [3,4], but that has not really
worked out. I think we should try again and make it work, possibly via
different/new technical means.

[3] http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2007/12/msg00679.html
[4] http://upsilon.cc/~zack/blog/posts/2008/08/PTS_integrated_with_mentors_and_gifts/

For all the above reasons, I'm calling for volunteers willing to act as
GCI admins. The task / requirements are about:

- having time to devote to the task from the beginning of November to
  the beginning of January
- calling for / organizing ways to collect Debian "easy hacks", that
  will be given out as GCI tasks
- interacting with the students that will take part in GCI

Background material and feedback/proposals on how to make it work
properly in Debian can be found in a slide deck by Ana [5].

[5] http://penta.debconf.org/dc11_schedule/attachments/189_google-code-in.pdf

The deadline for *project* applications in GCI is November 1st. We'll
need to have volunteers before that date, as it'd be pointless to apply
if we aren't sure Debian can participate properly in GCI. According to
feedback from past admins, it'd be wise to have at least 3 volunteers
before deciding to apply.


Many thanks in advance!,
Cheers.
-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli     zack@{upsilon.cc,pps.jussieu.fr,debian.org} . o .
Maître de conférences   ......   http://upsilon.cc/zack   ......   . . o
Debian Project Leader    .......   @zack on identi.ca   .......    o o o
« the first rule of tautology club is the first rule of tautology club »
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