From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2005-06-03T11:33:29+09:00
Subject: Google Summer of Code update

Hi --

Unfortunately, it's official that the Google Summer of Code program is
not accepting any more sponsoring organizations, so Ruby Central will
not be able to serve in that capacity.

Several people have asked me about the "Other organization" field on
the application, which I thought might have been appropriate for Ruby
Central in some cases (given that there's no clear "home" for Ruby
projects among the included language-based organizations).  I've been
advised that this field is only for cases considered very unusual or
extreme, and I fear this does not include cases where the student's
difficulty choosing an organization from the list arises from the
identity of the development language per se.  Obviously such a case is
no less extreme, from the perspective of the student, than a case where
the difficulty finding a match arises from some other cause; and I
admit I'm not clear on where the lines are being drawn between and
among these cases.  But that's neither here nor there.  The position
communicated to me from Google is that Ruby Central would not be
consistent with the intended use of the "Other organization" field, so
that's the salient point.

I encourage students interested in the program to look thoroughly at
the list of mentoring organizations, and see whether there's one which
might be able to accomodate you even though there isn't a
Ruby-oriented one.  It's the long route, so to speak, but if we can
get some Ruby projects supported, somewhere, it will be all to the
good.  Meanwhile, if the program is repeated next year, we should be a
little more in the loop and listed among the mentoring organizations
from the start.


David

-- 
David A. Black
dblack@wobblini.net