From: Bill Guindon <agorilla@...>
Date: 2005-06-03T02:46:28+09:00
Subject: Re: Google Summer of Code: status of Ruby Central

On 6/2/05, Phil Tomson <ptkwt@aracnet.com> wrote:
> In article <Pine.LNX.4.61.0506020611530.15008@wobblini>,
> David A. Black <dblack@wobblini.net> wrote:
> >Hi --
> >
> >There's a big buzz about the Google Summer of Code program
> >(http://code.google.com/summerofcode.html), and I thought I'd post an
> >update (not an encouraging one) here, with regard to Ruby Central,
> >Inc.
> >
> >I had hoped that this post would be a call for mentors for the Summer
> >of Code program.  Unfortunately, as of this morning they appear to
> >have shut the door on further mentoring organzations.  The information
> >on the website is contradictory, and I have written to them asking for
> >clarification and help.  But if the worst is true (the "No" in the
> >FAQ, as opposed to the "It's not too late" in the overview), then Ruby
> >Central is out in the cold.
> >
> >I will keep you posted.  Meanwhile, any students who want to apply
> >should, I'm sorry to say, probably look for another mentoring
> >organization.  I wish it were otherwise, but most of all I do not want
> >to see anyone's application held up or sidetracked because of these
> >problems.
> >
> 
> I'm not sure why Google was in such a hurry.  They just
> announced this program on May 31st.  It would have been much better if
> they had announced it a month or two earlier to give the
> 'mentoring organizations' time to respond and set up the needed
> infrastructure, etc.  It would have also given the 'students' more time
> to plan and make proposals as well.
> 
> From their FAQ:
> 
> "What kind of deadlines are associated with the Summer of Code?
> 
>       May 31st: Announce on code.google.com and open application process
> 
>       June 1st: Last Day new Organizations will be listed on
> Code.Google.Com"
> 
> One day?!  What gives?  This all has a smell of a last-minute, hastily
> planned project.  Hopefully next year they'll give better advance
> warning.

To me, it sounds like the pre-selected the mentors, but forgot to
change the text on their site.

On the bright side, it did inspire me to make a donation to
RubyCentral for all of their hard work, and for them coming to bat and
trying to get Ruby into the Summer of Code program.

http://www.rubycentral.org/pledge/

If enough others do that, we can have our own Summer of Code :)


> Phil
> 
> 


-- 
Bill Guindon (aka aGorilla)