[pygame] Google summer of code, and pygame. Where Google pays students to work on pygame.

["René Dudfield" <renesd@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

We've almost got pygame 1.8 released!  ya!   Once that's done, we'll
have to figure out what we want to do for the next release... but on
another note, there's this google summer of code thing coming up GSoC(
http://code.google.com/soc/2008/ ).  It's where google pays students
$4500 to work on open source projects for three months.

This year 'pygame' will be seeking to enter GSoC as a mentor
organisation.  Rather than going in with the Python Software
Foundation(PSF) like in a previous year.  This doesn't mean 'pygame'
will be a legal organisation or anything, the google SOC doesn't need
that.  We'll just be a rag-tag group of individuals acting as the
'pygame' organisation.  Going separately from PSF will allow us to
choose which projects are chosen for pygame, rather than allow the
general python organisation to choose which projects are allocated for
pygame.

Other organisations that might be related to pygame are:
- python
- SDL
- OLPC

So if 'pygame' isn't accepted as a mentoring organisation, we can try
to get some projects accepted under these organisations.  We can also
suggest projects for these organisations.  For example we might
suggest an SDL_webcam project for SDL, or a graphics types module for
python, etc.

So far Marcus, Phil Hassey, and I will be prepared to be mentors.
These are three active contributors to pygame.  Hopefully we'll have a
few more mentors too - if suitable people volunteer.  I'll be an
administrator, and Marcus is likely to be a backup administrator for
the 'pygame' organisation.  Perhaps we can get a few more backup
mentors, and/or backup administrators too.

I'm putting together the application for the organisation at the
moment, in consultation with the other mentors, and people on the
pygame mailing list.

'pygame' needs to figure out a few things:
1. some cool ideas for projects.   (we've started a list here
http://pygame.org/wiki/gsoc2008ideas )
2. where pygame wants to go next, and how google SOC can help us get there.
3. if anyone else wants to be a mentor, administrator, backup mentor,
or backup administrator.
4. if anyone want to become a student to figure out what
proposal/proposals you'll make.


Put your ideas for projects here:
http://pygame.org/wiki/gsoc2008ideas

Also please discuss your ideas for projects on the mailing list.


Here's the google Summer Of Code(SOC) page:
http://code.google.com/soc/2008/

How does a mentoring organization apply:
http://code.google.com/soc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_org_apply

mentoring organisations:
http://code.google.com/soc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_mentoring_orgs

deadlines:
http://code.google.com/soc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_timeline

Notes on student allocations:
http://groups.google.com/group/google-summer-of-code-announce/web/notes-on-student-allocations

Notes on organisation selection criteria:
http://groups.google.com/group/google-summer-of-code-announce/web/notes-on-organization-selection-criteria




cheers,