HSF GSoC - Frequently Asked Questions by Contributors
How do Contributors typically get started in your organization? Are there any small tasks, papers, or code components I can explore to build credibility and become familiar with your workflows? Can I contribute outside of GSoC?
It’s important to understand that the HSF organization is an umbrella organisation, that allows many different open source projects related to particle physics to participate. So there is no single answer to this, it depends on the individual projects.
The software used in our field is typically very open, but also very specialised and often requires a reasonable level of domain knowledge to contribute to. Be mindful that when trying to contribute as a newcomer you are most likely asking for quite some time and effort of the maintainers. The maintainers who do have the time and inclination to mentor will very often come forward and propose a project idea, so if you don’t know where to start, we recommend to wait and apply to an interesting project idea on the webpage. That said, all projects value quality contributions and some may have a GitHub presence with issues marked “good first issue” or a contributor’s guide. Also take a look at past editions of the programme to see what projects could be interesting for you.
Are the project ideas on the website the only possible topics, or can I propose a new topic?
It’s absolutely possible to write your own proposal, especially if you are already familiar with a project. Our prospective mentors put in quite some effort to come up with good project ideas though, and they are typically the most likely to succeed. Do make sure you have mentors in mind when you write your own proposal and contact them. Spontaneous submissions to the GSoC website are not likely to succeed.
When will the list of project ideas be announced?
Project ideas will be added to the website starting in January. You should wait until the contributor application period starts before contacting mentors though.
My proposal has been accepted, but my planning has changed due to exams etc. Can the submission deadlines be changed?
Yes, the GSoC programme is intended to be somewhat flexible, see https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/faq#can_the_schedule_be_adjusted_if_my_school_ends_latestarts_early , just e-mail the HSF GSoC admins. Please coordinate with your mentors though, and let us know well before the evaluation window opens - once it opens it cannot be modified anymore.
Note
See also the general GSoC FAQ by Google: https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/faq
For any questions not yet answered, please email hsf-gsoc-admin AT googlegroups com.