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Google Summer of Code Expands
bakotaco wrote with news from the Summer of Code site: "We're Expanding the Summer of Code... After spot reviewing the applications we've received for the Summer of Code, we were struck with their high quality. As a result, we were able to increase the funds available to support 400 students, double our original number of 200. While this doesn't allow us to take all applicants, we thought that this would be a terrific thing to do for the mentoring organizations, the students, open source software and computer science."
The Dow do-no-evil index closed higher today on an announcment from Google...
The preceding message was based on actual events. Only the names, locations and events have been changed.
I'd rather have The Summer of Love. :)
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
Google has been the darling of the tech world for who knows how long because sometimes they just do the right thing. Of course there's something in it for them, there always is, but for a publicly held company to continue the high reputation it held as a private company is admirable. Yes there have been changes there and no not everybody is happy, but the leaders of the company are still good leaders. That's a rarity these days.
...building their personal army of Google programmers. It's an excellent way to get the developer community on your side. I am anxious to see what type of innovations will come from all this.
"...if people respected copyright more, like you guys do with the GPL so religiously, [the DMCA] wouldn't be necessary."
Don't be a jerk. I'm a geek and this shit matters to me. Don't like what slashdot reports? Don't read it.
But remember, having Google on your resume looks better than McDonalds!
And CERTAINLY much better than working for Electronic Arts.
Could Google be the next Bell Labs? Next thing you know that will hatch from google would be the cure for AIDS.
----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
"Google has been the darling of the tech world for who knows how long because sometimes they just do the right thing."
Of all the things Google does right, this is one of them. They take the best and brightest -- and the get to know them well. So this year they are getting the value from 400 people working on cool Open Source projects that will benefit the whole world. Google gets props and free advertising for doing this, which is likely quite an endeavor. 400 computers networked... think of the Quake tournies!
Out of this piece of philanthropy (it really is philanthropy when you are paying programmers these days -- we need as much support as we can get!) -- Google will find at least TEN projects they can buy outright WITH the developer who they have ALREADY PAID $4500 to, making the deal SOFTER, turning $4500 into an investment perhaps saving them millions.
In my opinion, Google has really built the first known MONEY FARM known to man. All they have to do is water it and it will grow. Next summer, expect 800 people or more.
I'm doing an Open Source blogging/small business web services system called PHk (soon to be at phk.ca). The company I'm working for is paying me salary just to work on my own system -- because they want to be able to use it when it's done. And that's another success story with Open Source when your vocation is your vacation...
Anyone here working at Google this summer?
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
MS 'interns' make more money and are still very highly respected in the real world.
... where they still make decent money.
Of course, many MS interns go back after college and get full time jobs
Remember: just because you don't like their business practices doesn't mean there aren't talented people at the MS campus. Those of you in freshmen/sophomore years studying CS or math should DEFINITELY consider MS for summer work.
Video Phone Blogs send video messages straight to the web.
They aren't taking more submissions. They are just picking twice as many people from the original batch of applicants.
Think of the time involved. Taking ~6000 applications and writing a 10 minute rejection: 60,000 person-minutes. That's 1,000 person hours, or half of a work year for some guy just to type up personal apologies. Who in their right mind _wants_ companies to pay people to do such things, that's like demanding that people have sucky jobs!
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
that's quite a bit of money they're giving away...
Chris
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
The Gallery project has a list of ideas for Google Summer of Code coders. This is a very nice, mature, PHP application used for managing pictures online.
Another great project that would be interesting to work with is Jinzora. Jinzora is a web-based music streaming/archiving application. It may be one of the best around.
Both applications are GPLed, fairly mature, actively developed and used, and are just plain useful tools to use.
Your IP will be licensed under a license chosen by the open source project you will be working on. E.g., if you work on a GPL project, your code would be under the GPL.
Next piece of FUD, please?
Be a PATRIOT--because the only thing we have to fear is the lack thereof.