[DISCUSS] Participate in another GSoC like programme

[Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com>]

Some may recall that I kept promising the arrival of students from an
EU Commission project on a GSoC style pilot in formal education. This
was a very long way from successful but there was zero impact on our
projects since we asked PMCs to mark GSoC level projects as "mentor".
This enabled us to provide a list of suitable projects for the
students without PMCs needing to do additional work.

I've now been approached by another EU Commission project proposal
team that wants to do something similar, but this time with students
doing the work as part of their assessed coursework (i.e. they have a
strong motivation for doing the work). Another, big difference this
time is that one of the partner organisations has ASF committers (2
of) and there are three open source savvy commercial organisations on
the bid (DISCLOSURE: one of them is my little consultancy company).

Given the way these proposals get written, there is a very tight
deadline on this (2 days). I got a first draft of the proposal this
weekend and I am now satisfied that what is being asked of associate
partners is acceptable (i.e we won't be responsible for students
education). However, there isn't enough time for a proper discuss then
vote process. I'm therefore running these in parallel.

If anyone has *any* serious concerns about rushing like this please
vote -1 and I'll go back to plan B which is simply to highlight my
engagement with the ASF as an individual. Note that I will not be
voting given the obvious conflict of interest. However, if the funding
is approved I will be taking full responsibility for all aspects of
administration within the ASF (and other associate partners). Note I
have also notified board@ and will cancel the vote if the board raises
a concern.

In terms of deliverables from the project think of GSoC where the
students get credits towards their degree rather than cash (Semester
of Code rather than Summer of Code). If successful the project will
provide a "manual" for other universities wishing to offer such real
world experience to their students.

Our PMCs will choose to offer mentors based on the quality of student
applications - if there are no students that look interesting we have
no further commitments.

Here is the text of the letter of intent I propose to sign if the
ComDev PMC approves:

---- start copied text ---

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) provides support for the Apache
community of open-source software projects. That community provide
software products for the public good. The ASF is made up of over 100
top level projects that cover a wide range of technologies. Chances
are that if anyone is looking for a rewarding experience in Open
Source, you are going to find it here.

The Apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based
processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create
high quality software that leads the way in its field. We are
recognized as one of the most influential software organisations of
our time and are often seen as the "gold standard" of open source
software development.

We have participated in the Google Summer of Code programme since its
inception and continue to mentor around 40 students per year. We have
had great success with this programme with some of our earliest
students still working with us.

The OSKA project has the potential to extend the benefits of the
Google Summer of Code programme into formal education whilst still
allowing our communities to work alongside students in real world open
source projects. As a voluntary organisation we cannot guarantee that
students will succeed, but we can provide an environment in which  any
sufficiently able
student will find our projects supportive and educational. We look
forward to extending our Google Summer of Code efforts to support the
OSKA trial.

-- 
Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
Programme Leader (Open Development)
OpenDirective http://opendirective.com

Re: [DISCUSS] Participate in another GSoC like programme

[Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com>]

Thanks for the heads up Donald, you are right to raise this as a
concern. However, we are aware of the issues and have planned for them
accordingly.

I've answered your questions inline...

On 25 June 2012 14:02, Donald Whytock <dw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> GSoC is a volunteer thing.  Schoolwork typically isn't.  A school
> isn't an employer of students, and therefore I assume can't do a CCLA
> that would cover students.

CCLAs are not required by the ASF. They were created at the request of
companies that wanted the extra layer of protection. That being said,
you are right, educational bodies would find it difficult
(impossible?) to sign one for their students.

> Can students be compelled through
> schoolwork assignments to do work that would then be treated as
> "contributions"?

For the participating institutions, yes (although they may choose to
allow students to do a "traditional" final year project if anyone
objects). This may not be the case for all institutions but it is the
case in those participating in this pilot.

> Or would this be like an internship or a dedicated
> class, such that signing up for it at all is contingent on signing an
> ICLA?

Whether an ICLA is required or not is up to the project in question.
In the case of ASF projects we will require ICLAs if the student is
given write access to repositories. Not all projects are as rigid
about ICLAs as we are but that's not a concern for this list I guess.

Ross

>
> Don
>
> On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 8:24 AM, Ross Gardler
> <rg...@opendirective.com> wrote:
>> My apologies, I sent this to the wrong list (damned autocomplete)
>> please ignore (or pick it up on dev@community.apache.org if you are
>> interested)
>>
>> On 25 June 2012 13:15, Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com> wrote:
>>> Some may recall that I kept promising the arrival of students from an
>>> EU Commission project on a GSoC style pilot in formal education. This
>>> was a very long way from successful but there was zero impact on our
>>> projects since we asked PMCs to mark GSoC level projects as "mentor".
>>> This enabled us to provide a list of suitable projects for the
>>> students without PMCs needing to do additional work.
>>>
>>> I've now been approached by another EU Commission project proposal
>>> team that wants to do something similar, but this time with students
>>> doing the work as part of their assessed coursework (i.e. they have a
>>> strong motivation for doing the work). Another, big difference this
>>> time is that one of the partner organisations has ASF committers (2
>>> of) and there are three open source savvy commercial organisations on
>>> the bid (DISCLOSURE: one of them is my little consultancy company).
>>>
>>> Given the way these proposals get written, there is a very tight
>>> deadline on this (2 days). I got a first draft of the proposal this
>>> weekend and I am now satisfied that what is being asked of associate
>>> partners is acceptable (i.e we won't be responsible for students
>>> education). However, there isn't enough time for a proper discuss then
>>> vote process. I'm therefore running these in parallel.
>>>
>>> If anyone has *any* serious concerns about rushing like this please
>>> vote -1 and I'll go back to plan B which is simply to highlight my
>>> engagement with the ASF as an individual. Note that I will not be
>>> voting given the obvious conflict of interest. However, if the funding
>>> is approved I will be taking full responsibility for all aspects of
>>> administration within the ASF (and other associate partners). Note I
>>> have also notified board@ and will cancel the vote if the board raises
>>> a concern.
>>>
>>> In terms of deliverables from the project think of GSoC where the
>>> students get credits towards their degree rather than cash (Semester
>>> of Code rather than Summer of Code). If successful the project will
>>> provide a "manual" for other universities wishing to offer such real
>>> world experience to their students.
>>>
>>> Our PMCs will choose to offer mentors based on the quality of student
>>> applications - if there are no students that look interesting we have
>>> no further commitments.
>>>
>>> Here is the text of the letter of intent I propose to sign if the
>>> ComDev PMC approves:
>>>
>>> ---- start copied text ---
>>>
>>> The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) provides support for the Apache
>>> community of open-source software projects. That community provide
>>> software products for the public good. The ASF is made up of over 100
>>> top level projects that cover a wide range of technologies. Chances
>>> are that if anyone is looking for a rewarding experience in Open
>>> Source, you are going to find it here.
>>>
>>> The Apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based
>>> processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create
>>> high quality software that leads the way in its field. We are
>>> recognized as one of the most influential software organisations of
>>> our time and are often seen as the "gold standard" of open source
>>> software development.
>>>
>>> We have participated in the Google Summer of Code programme since its
>>> inception and continue to mentor around 40 students per year. We have
>>> had great success with this programme with some of our earliest
>>> students still working with us.
>>>
>>> The OSKA project has the potential to extend the benefits of the
>>> Google Summer of Code programme into formal education whilst still
>>> allowing our communities to work alongside students in real world open
>>> source projects. As a voluntary organisation we cannot guarantee that
>>> students will succeed, but we can provide an environment in which  any
>>> sufficiently able
>>> student will find our projects supportive and educational. We look
>>> forward to extending our Google Summer of Code efforts to support the
>>> OSKA trial.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
>>> Programme Leader (Open Development)
>>> OpenDirective http://opendirective.com
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
>> Programme Leader (Open Development)
>> OpenDirective http://opendirective.com



-- 
Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
Programme Leader (Open Development)
OpenDirective http://opendirective.com

Re: [DISCUSS] Participate in another GSoC like programme

[Donald Whytock <dw...@gmail.com>]

Just a caveat...There was an issue with the now-attic-ed project
Bluesky, which, as I understand it, was operated with teacher
committers and student contributors.  The whole IP/licensing issue
looked ugly toward the end because none of the students had signed
ICLAs and hadn't contributed the code directly with license
acknowledgement checkboxes selected.

GSoC is a volunteer thing.  Schoolwork typically isn't.  A school
isn't an employer of students, and therefore I assume can't do a CCLA
that would cover students.  Can students be compelled through
schoolwork assignments to do work that would then be treated as
"contributions"?  Or would this be like an internship or a dedicated
class, such that signing up for it at all is contingent on signing an
ICLA?

Don

On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 8:24 AM, Ross Gardler
<rg...@opendirective.com> wrote:
> My apologies, I sent this to the wrong list (damned autocomplete)
> please ignore (or pick it up on dev@community.apache.org if you are
> interested)
>
> On 25 June 2012 13:15, Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com> wrote:
>> Some may recall that I kept promising the arrival of students from an
>> EU Commission project on a GSoC style pilot in formal education. This
>> was a very long way from successful but there was zero impact on our
>> projects since we asked PMCs to mark GSoC level projects as "mentor".
>> This enabled us to provide a list of suitable projects for the
>> students without PMCs needing to do additional work.
>>
>> I've now been approached by another EU Commission project proposal
>> team that wants to do something similar, but this time with students
>> doing the work as part of their assessed coursework (i.e. they have a
>> strong motivation for doing the work). Another, big difference this
>> time is that one of the partner organisations has ASF committers (2
>> of) and there are three open source savvy commercial organisations on
>> the bid (DISCLOSURE: one of them is my little consultancy company).
>>
>> Given the way these proposals get written, there is a very tight
>> deadline on this (2 days). I got a first draft of the proposal this
>> weekend and I am now satisfied that what is being asked of associate
>> partners is acceptable (i.e we won't be responsible for students
>> education). However, there isn't enough time for a proper discuss then
>> vote process. I'm therefore running these in parallel.
>>
>> If anyone has *any* serious concerns about rushing like this please
>> vote -1 and I'll go back to plan B which is simply to highlight my
>> engagement with the ASF as an individual. Note that I will not be
>> voting given the obvious conflict of interest. However, if the funding
>> is approved I will be taking full responsibility for all aspects of
>> administration within the ASF (and other associate partners). Note I
>> have also notified board@ and will cancel the vote if the board raises
>> a concern.
>>
>> In terms of deliverables from the project think of GSoC where the
>> students get credits towards their degree rather than cash (Semester
>> of Code rather than Summer of Code). If successful the project will
>> provide a "manual" for other universities wishing to offer such real
>> world experience to their students.
>>
>> Our PMCs will choose to offer mentors based on the quality of student
>> applications - if there are no students that look interesting we have
>> no further commitments.
>>
>> Here is the text of the letter of intent I propose to sign if the
>> ComDev PMC approves:
>>
>> ---- start copied text ---
>>
>> The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) provides support for the Apache
>> community of open-source software projects. That community provide
>> software products for the public good. The ASF is made up of over 100
>> top level projects that cover a wide range of technologies. Chances
>> are that if anyone is looking for a rewarding experience in Open
>> Source, you are going to find it here.
>>
>> The Apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based
>> processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create
>> high quality software that leads the way in its field. We are
>> recognized as one of the most influential software organisations of
>> our time and are often seen as the "gold standard" of open source
>> software development.
>>
>> We have participated in the Google Summer of Code programme since its
>> inception and continue to mentor around 40 students per year. We have
>> had great success with this programme with some of our earliest
>> students still working with us.
>>
>> The OSKA project has the potential to extend the benefits of the
>> Google Summer of Code programme into formal education whilst still
>> allowing our communities to work alongside students in real world open
>> source projects. As a voluntary organisation we cannot guarantee that
>> students will succeed, but we can provide an environment in which  any
>> sufficiently able
>> student will find our projects supportive and educational. We look
>> forward to extending our Google Summer of Code efforts to support the
>> OSKA trial.
>>
>> --
>> Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
>> Programme Leader (Open Development)
>> OpenDirective http://opendirective.com
>
>
>
> --
> Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
> Programme Leader (Open Development)
> OpenDirective http://opendirective.com

Re: [DISCUSS] Participate in another GSoC like programme

[Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com>]

My apologies, I sent this to the wrong list (damned autocomplete)
please ignore (or pick it up on dev@community.apache.org if you are
interested)

On 25 June 2012 13:15, Ross Gardler <rg...@opendirective.com> wrote:
> Some may recall that I kept promising the arrival of students from an
> EU Commission project on a GSoC style pilot in formal education. This
> was a very long way from successful but there was zero impact on our
> projects since we asked PMCs to mark GSoC level projects as "mentor".
> This enabled us to provide a list of suitable projects for the
> students without PMCs needing to do additional work.
>
> I've now been approached by another EU Commission project proposal
> team that wants to do something similar, but this time with students
> doing the work as part of their assessed coursework (i.e. they have a
> strong motivation for doing the work). Another, big difference this
> time is that one of the partner organisations has ASF committers (2
> of) and there are three open source savvy commercial organisations on
> the bid (DISCLOSURE: one of them is my little consultancy company).
>
> Given the way these proposals get written, there is a very tight
> deadline on this (2 days). I got a first draft of the proposal this
> weekend and I am now satisfied that what is being asked of associate
> partners is acceptable (i.e we won't be responsible for students
> education). However, there isn't enough time for a proper discuss then
> vote process. I'm therefore running these in parallel.
>
> If anyone has *any* serious concerns about rushing like this please
> vote -1 and I'll go back to plan B which is simply to highlight my
> engagement with the ASF as an individual. Note that I will not be
> voting given the obvious conflict of interest. However, if the funding
> is approved I will be taking full responsibility for all aspects of
> administration within the ASF (and other associate partners). Note I
> have also notified board@ and will cancel the vote if the board raises
> a concern.
>
> In terms of deliverables from the project think of GSoC where the
> students get credits towards their degree rather than cash (Semester
> of Code rather than Summer of Code). If successful the project will
> provide a "manual" for other universities wishing to offer such real
> world experience to their students.
>
> Our PMCs will choose to offer mentors based on the quality of student
> applications - if there are no students that look interesting we have
> no further commitments.
>
> Here is the text of the letter of intent I propose to sign if the
> ComDev PMC approves:
>
> ---- start copied text ---
>
> The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) provides support for the Apache
> community of open-source software projects. That community provide
> software products for the public good. The ASF is made up of over 100
> top level projects that cover a wide range of technologies. Chances
> are that if anyone is looking for a rewarding experience in Open
> Source, you are going to find it here.
>
> The Apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based
> processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create
> high quality software that leads the way in its field. We are
> recognized as one of the most influential software organisations of
> our time and are often seen as the "gold standard" of open source
> software development.
>
> We have participated in the Google Summer of Code programme since its
> inception and continue to mentor around 40 students per year. We have
> had great success with this programme with some of our earliest
> students still working with us.
>
> The OSKA project has the potential to extend the benefits of the
> Google Summer of Code programme into formal education whilst still
> allowing our communities to work alongside students in real world open
> source projects. As a voluntary organisation we cannot guarantee that
> students will succeed, but we can provide an environment in which  any
> sufficiently able
> student will find our projects supportive and educational. We look
> forward to extending our Google Summer of Code efforts to support the
> OSKA trial.
>
> --
> Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
> Programme Leader (Open Development)
> OpenDirective http://opendirective.com



-- 
Ross Gardler (@rgardler)
Programme Leader (Open Development)
OpenDirective http://opendirective.com