# RFC: How PHP utilizes the Google SoC - Thread: https://externals.io/message/35960 - Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/35960 - Started by Philip Olson on 2008-03-04T22:17:45+00:00 - Messages: 10 - Reply by email to internals@lists.php.net - More for agents: search with https://externals.io/search.md?q={query} · JSON API at https://externals.io/api · documentation at https://externals.io/llms.txt --- ## #35960 — Philip Olson — 2008-03-04T22:17:45+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35960 The Google Summer of Code sponsors students to work on Open Source projects over each summer. This RFC introduces guidelines and goals involving how we handle the SoC process. Synopsis: ------------- Nominate an administrator early, encourage idea development year round, and focus on nominating current contributors over new ones. The Administrator: ------------- The SoC Administrator is designated - hopefully before February 1. Administrative duties: ------------- - organize the ideas page with summer long tasks - evaluate PHP project contributors for possible mentors and students - mind all official SoC guidelines/timelines - begin process for the following year Choosing projects: ------------- An official goal[1] of SoC is to encourage new contributors to the Open Source world. This RFC selfishly proposes an alternative yet defined angle for accomplishing this goal. We first encourage students to become accustomed to the PHP process, peers, and learn the quirks that go on around here. And later, they may apply for an SoC project. Benefits: - efficiency - can start work today - in-house feel - better retention - a higher bus factor Downsides: - distracted by other php.net tasks - encourages less outside proposals - delays - "i'll wait for the summer" The benefits are good, and while kept in mind the downsides can be dealt with. Dealing with the downsides: ------------- - students are discouraged by peers to work on other parts of the PHP project - peers are encouraged to take on the students current php.net tasks - be clear that all ideas by anyone are accepted, but in-house is preferred - maintain a "How can I help PHP today?" guide with HOWTO: - create and submit a patch - resolve bugs - help maintain a pecl extension - write unit tests - write documentation, and/or translate - deal with user notes - ... Ideas: ------------- Idea generation and brain storming is encouraged all year, and ideas may be implemented at any time by any person. But once the summer nears, they (the ones not yet started) essentially become reserved as possible SoC proposals. Ideas that directly help php.net operations receive moderate preference. Eventually idea management becomes its own beast, with SoC ideas being only a small part of that task. This year: ------------- This year we assign both new and current people, but in future years encourage people to join the PHP project first, and then potentially utilize the Google SoC later. Regards, Philip [1] http://code.google.com/soc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_goals --- ## #35961 — Edward Z. Yang — 2008-03-05T02:11:42+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35961 · In reply to: #35960 Philip Olson wrote: > The SoC Administrator is designated - hopefully before February 1. Somewhat behind the ball, are we? :o) -- Edward Z. Yang GnuPG: 0x869C48DA HTML Purifier Anti-XSS Filter [[ 3FA8 E9A9 7385 B691 A6FC B3CB A933 BE7D 869C 48DA ]] --- ## #35962 — David Coallier — 2008-03-05T02:37:37+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35962 · In reply to: #35961 > Philip Olson wrote: > > […] Marcus was last year, he is again this year. > > Somewhat behind the ball, are we? :o) > Nothing is behind the walls... for once :) -- David, Re-read what you are replying. --- ## #35963 — Edward Z. Yang — 2008-03-05T02:38:47+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35963 · In reply to: #35962 David Coallier wrote: > Marcus was last year, he is again this year. Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. -- Edward Z. Yang GnuPG: 0x869C48DA HTML Purifier Anti-XSS Filter [[ 3FA8 E9A9 7385 B691 A6FC B3CB A933 BE7D 869C 48DA ]] --- ## #35964 — Daniel Brown — 2008-03-05T03:07:07+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35964 · In reply to: #35960 > > The Google Summer of Code sponsors students to work on Open Source > projects over each summer. This RFC introduces guidelines and goals > involving how we handle the SoC process. [snip="important info"] Philip (or anyone else who can answer); According to the information I've read (and I'll admit, I've *heard* of the GSoC, but am by no means familiar with it), the organization receives a small stipend as the representative group. My question is: how is this usually spent? The reason I ask is because I'd be very interested in mentoring a student on a project if we can use this money to help move the RFC Wiki (or similar) idea forward. Besides, I'd be killing two birds with one stone.... as it was, I was trying to figure out how I'd afford the box and bandwidth as it is, because the Wiki idea - as I think others may agree - is an excellent step toward the future of the development of PHP. So it's not an unselfish move on my part. -- Daniel P. Brown Senior Unix Geek On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 5:17 PM, Philip Olson > wrote: > > […] > [snip="important info"] > > Philip (or anyone else who can answer); > > According to the information I've read (and I'll admit, I've > *heard* of the GSoC, but am by no means familiar with it), the > organization receives a small stipend as the representative group. My > question is: how is this usually spent? > > The reason I ask is because I'd be very interested in mentoring a > student on a project if we can use this money to help move the RFC > Wiki (or similar) idea forward. Besides, I'd be killing two birds > with one stone.... as it was, I was trying to figure out how I'd > afford the box and bandwidth as it is, because the Wiki idea - as I > think others may agree - is an excellent step toward the future of the > development of PHP. So it's not an unselfish move on my part. Hello Daniel, Lack of funding is rarely a cause for such issues. Where there is a will, there is a free way. Many entities exist out there that are willing to donate boxes and bandwidth but people just need to find them. The wiki is moving forward after delays for many reasons including unknowns about if PHP wants a wiki (some people hate them), our chaotic nature, and lack of time. Lukas is now working on the wiki and it already has a domain (wiki.php.net) and CVS module (php-wiki- web) and once it goes online I have a feeling other new tools will start evolving. Just a guess. These were created yesterday. As for where the mentor SoC money goes, I think it finds its way towards random PHP user groups. Regards, Philip --- ## #35966 — Rasmus Lerdorf — 2008-03-05T04:48:36+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35966 · In reply to: #35965 Philip Olson wrote: > > > > > […] > > > Hello Daniel, > > Lack of funding is rarely a cause for such issues. Where there is a > will, there is a free way. Many entities exist out there that are > willing to donate boxes and bandwidth but people just need to find them. > > The wiki is moving forward after delays for many reasons including > unknowns about if PHP wants a wiki (some people hate them), our > chaotic nature, and lack of time. Lukas is now working on the wiki > and it already has a domain (wiki.php.net) and CVS module > (php-wiki-web) and once it goes online I have a feeling other new > tools will start evolving. Just a guess. These were created yesterday. > > As for where the mentor SoC money goes, I think it finds its way > towards random PHP user groups. The money goes directly to the students. PHP as a project does not take any money. Technically we could, but we haven chosen in the past not to. -Rasmus --- ## #35974 — Daniel Brown — 2008-03-05T15:22:29+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#35974 · In reply to: #35966 > Philip Olson wrote: > > […] > The money goes directly to the students. PHP as a project does not take > any money. > Technically we could, but we haven chosen in the past not to. Gotcha'. Thanks for clearing that up, fellas. Good to know about the Wiki, too, Phillip. I actually saw an email come in this morning with the wiki.php.net domain as the subject. Maybe I'd been missing a lot of the discussion somehow, I didn't know that it was still moving forward. Thanks again, to both of you. -- Daniel P. Brown Senior Unix Geek Good to know about the Wiki, too, Phillip. I actually saw an > email come in this morning with the wiki.php.net domain as the > subject. Maybe I'd been missing a lot of the discussion somehow, I > didn't know that it was still moving forward. Lukas has been very quick and responsive on this, not much discussions as it seems to be the biggest stopper on that list :) Good work Lukas, very good work. -- David, Re-read what you are replying. --- ## #36054 — Marcus Boerger — 2008-03-07T22:31:31+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/35960#36054 · In reply to: #35960 Hello Philip, first of all I filled in the application after I informed the people running the program. As soon as we get approved you will hear more from me. Until then I am happy that you do all this work and collect ideas. marcus Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 11:17:45 PM, you wrote: > The Google Summer of Code sponsors students to work on Open Source > projects over each summer. This RFC introduces guidelines and goals > involving how we handle the SoC process. > Synopsis: > ------------- > Nominate an administrator early, encourage idea development year > round, and focus on nominating current contributors over new ones. > The Administrator: > ------------- > The SoC Administrator is designated - hopefully before February 1. > Administrative duties: > ------------- > - organize the ideas page with summer long tasks > - evaluate PHP project contributors for possible mentors and students > - mind all official SoC guidelines/timelines > - begin process for the following year > Choosing projects: > ------------- > An official goal[1] of SoC is to encourage new contributors to the > Open Source world. This RFC selfishly proposes an alternative yet > defined angle for accomplishing this goal. We first encourage > students to become accustomed to the PHP process, peers, and learn > the quirks that go on around here. And later, they may apply for an > SoC project. > Benefits: > - efficiency - can start work today > - in-house feel > - better retention > - a higher bus factor > Downsides: > - distracted by other php.net tasks > - encourages less outside proposals > - delays - "i'll wait for the summer" > The benefits are good, and while kept in mind the downsides can be > dealt with. > Dealing with the downsides: > ------------- > - students are discouraged by peers to work on other parts of the PHP > project > - peers are encouraged to take on the students current php.net tasks > - be clear that all ideas by anyone are accepted, but in-house is > preferred > - maintain a "How can I help PHP today?" guide with HOWTO: > - create and submit a patch > - resolve bugs > - help maintain a pecl extension > - write unit tests > - write documentation, and/or translate > - deal with user notes > - ... > Ideas: > ------------- > Idea generation and brain storming is encouraged all year, and ideas > may be implemented at any time by any person. But once the summer > nears, they (the ones not yet started) essentially become reserved as > possible SoC proposals. Ideas that directly help php.net operations > receive moderate preference. > Eventually idea management becomes its own beast, with SoC ideas > being only a small part of that task. > This year: > ------------- > This year we assign both new and current people, but in future years > encourage people to join the PHP project first, and then potentially > utilize the Google SoC later. > Regards, > Philip > [1] http://code.google.com/soc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_goals Best regards, Marcus