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Three opportunities to connect with Google Open Source in June

Monday, June 15, 2020

One of our biggest challenges this year has been finding opportunities to stay connected with the many open source communities that we collaborate with across projects. As we continue to develop new ways of creating convenings with our different stakeholders, here are three opportunities to connect with Google Open Source later this month.

24 hours of Google Cloud Talks by DevRel

When: June 23, 2020
What: This is a free, digital series, organized by Google Developer Relations team, offering practitioners an opportunity to connect with our technical experts and deepen their awareness and knowledge of a variety of Google Cloud solutions including ML/AI, Serverless, DevOps, and many more.

Talks by Google Open Source:

June 23

OpenJS World

When: June 23-24, 2020
What: Organized by The Linux Foundation, and sponsored by Google, this annual event brings together the JavaScript and web ecosystem including Node.js, Electron, AMP and more. In 2020, we’re going virtual to learn and engage with leaders deploying innovative applications at massive scale.

Talks by Google Open Source:

June 23
June 24

Open Source Summit North America

When: June 29 – July 2, 2020
What: Organized by The Linux Foundation, and sponsored by Google, this event connects the open source ecosystem under one roof, summoning over 2,000 participants across 15 conference rooms. It’s a unique environment for cross-collaboration between developers, sysadmins, devops, architects, program and product managers and others who are driving technology forward.

Talks by Google Open Source:

June 29
June 30
If you attend any of these talks, and plan to share, you can tag @GoogleOSS on Twitter. We hope to see and connect with many of you at these virtual events!

By María Cruz, Google Open Source

Google Summer of Code 2020 Statistics: Part 1

Friday, June 12, 2020

Since 2005, Google Summer of Code (GSoC) has been bringing new developers into the open source community every year. This year, we accepted 1,199 from 66 countries into the 2020 GSoC program to work with 199 open source organizations over the summer. Students began coding June 1st and will spend the next 12 weeks working closely under the guidance from mentors from their open source communities.

Each year we like to share program statistics about the GSoC program and the accepted students and mentors involved in the program. 6,626 students from 121 countries submitted 8,903 applications for this year’s program.

Accepted Students

  • 86.6% are participating in their first GSoC
  • 71.7% are first time applicants to GSoC

Degrees

  • 77.4% are undergraduates, 16.8% are masters students, and 5.8% are in PhD programs
  • 72.5% are Computer Science majors, 3.6% are Mathematics majors, 23.9% are other majors including many from engineering fields like Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, etc.
  • Students are studying in a variety of fields including Atmospheric Science, Finance, Neuroscience, Economics, Biophysics, Linguistics, Geology, Pharmacy and Real estate.

Proposals

There were a record number of students submitting proposals for the program this year:
  • 6,626 students (18.2% increase from last year)
  • 121 countries
  • 8,902 proposals submitted

Registrations

We had a record breaking 51,244 students from 178 countries(!) register for the program this year—that’s a 65% increase in registrations from last year’s record numbers!

In our next GSoC statistics post, we will do a deeper dive into the schools and mentors for the 2020 program.

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Season of Docs now accepting technical writer applications

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

The technical writer applications for Season of Docs are now open.

Technical writers can submit project proposals based on the project ideas of participating organizations, or propose their own ideas. Refer to the guidelines on the website for how to create a technical writer application. The technical writer application form is located here.

The deadline for technical writer applications is July 9, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.

What is Season of Docs?

Documentation is essential to the adoption of open source projects as well as to the success of their communities. Season of Docs brings together technical writers and open source projects to foster collaboration and improve documentation in the open source space. You can find out more about the program on the introduction page of the website.

During the program, technical writers spend a few months working closely with an open source community. They bring their technical writing expertise to the project's documentation and, at the same time, learn about the open source project and new technologies.

Mentors from open source projects work with the technical writers to improve the project's documentation and processes. Together, they may choose to build a new documentation set, redesign the existing docs, or improve and document the project's contribution procedures and onboarding experience.

How do I take part in Season of Docs as a technical writer?

First, take a look at the technical writer guide on the website, which includes information on eligibility and the application process.

Explore the list of participating organizations and their project ideas. When you find one or more projects that interest you, you should approach the relevant open source organization directly to discuss project ideas.

Then, read the information on creating a technical writing application and submit it via this form. The deadline for technical writer applications is July 9, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.

Is there a stipend for participating technical writers?

Yes. There is an optional stipend available to the accepted technical writers. The stipend amount is calculated based on the technical writer's home location. See the technical writer stipends page for more information.

What kind of mentor will I be working with?

Season of Docs mentors are not necessarily technical writers, and they may have little experience in technical communication. They're members of an open source organization who know the value of good documentation and who are experienced in open source processes and tools.

The relationship between you and your mentors is a collaboration. You bring documentation experience and skills to the open source organization. Your mentors contribute their knowledge of open source and code. Together, you can develop technical documentation and improve the open source project's processes.

What if I have a full time job and don't have many hours per week to devote to Season of Docs?

In the technical writer application, there is an option to apply for a long-running project, which allows technical writers to complete their project in five months instead of the standard three months. This must be agreed upon with the open source organization before work begins.

If you have any questions about the program, please email us at [email protected].

General timeline

June 9 – July 9Technical writers submit their proposals to Season of Docs
August 16Google announces the accepted technical writer projects
August 17 – September 13Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors
September 14 – December 5Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period
January 6, 2021Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects
See the full timeline for details, including the provision for projects that run longer than three months.

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Examine the timeline, check out the FAQ, and apply now!

By Kassandra Dhillon and Erin McKean, Google Open Source
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