GSOC 2018 has recently be announced. I’d like Ignite Realtime to apply as organization for GSOC 2018 (as we did in previous years). I’d be happy to do all the work. Deadline for organization application is 23.01.
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We generously got two slots last year via the XSF and would be worried that a new organization applying to Google would not get two slots again or maybe even one at all. Is there a reason you want to make this change?
It is not sure that the XSF will participate in this years GSOC. And the deadline is approaching. And even if, I do not think that we loose anything from giving it a shot. Ignite Realtime is big enough to act as organization. If we don’t get accepted, then we could still go under the umbrella of the XSF. If we get accepted, but only get a slot, we could probably get a transfer slot (possibly even from the XSF).
I’d very much be part of GSoC again, in 2018. Although I like you volunteering for this, I wonder what benefits you see in not using the XSF umbrella.
That umbrella has served us well in past years, giving us the benefit of piggybacking on the good reputation that the XSF has build up with Google in the last 10-or-so years. On top of that, there’s an awful lot of GSoC experience and expertise in the XSF that we can tap into. Why not benefit from that?
If you’re interested in having more control over the process, I’m confident that the XSF would be happy to have you act as an organisation admin for the XSF - maybe that’d give you the best of both world?
As I’m in the Board of both the Ignite Realtime Foundation, as well as the XSF, I might be somewhat biased, but I’m also certain to be involved in one way or another in both efforts. From a personal point of view, keeping things in one organisation has my preference. 
I think that’s an exaggeration of the benefits, while additionally underestimating the drawbacks of being dependent on the XSF and giving up a large amount of control.
Happy to do so, as long as no one objects me additionally mentoring.
You’re going to have to do rather better than “Take back control”, I’m afraid - I’ve seen a lot of that argument over the past couple of years in the UK, and very little actual benefit.
What do you want to do that you’re currently prevented from doing?
I’d be happy as long as you are aware of how much time an Org Admin has to commit to already. There’s a reason why Kev is stepping down, after all.
It’s not primary about taking the power back. But about being dependent on another organization that possibly won’t participate. Sure, I didn’t like how some things where handled by the XSF in the past, like having a weekly meeting with all students and participants, while the mentors and the students also met weekly or even more often (at least that was the case where I mentored). But that’s not a showstopper for me.
What is the issue with us applying as GSOC organization?
So the reason why Kev insists on a weekly meeting as Org Admin is because the Org Admin’s responsibilities include ensuring that the mentors are still active and the students are happy. So by having a weekly student meeting he can gain any feedback from them. And yes, the mentors should be working with their students a lot more than just that one meeting.
I think the only benefit to us operating our own GSoC Org would be financial. That’s not insignificant, of course, but it’s the only concrete benefit I can see.
This is all predicated on the XSF applying, of course. That’s a question we need to get settled ASAP, and I’d note that currently, Kev has no replacement.
I don’t think a weekly meeting is required for this. But we are drifting off. I still don’t see any reason why we should not apply as mentoring organization.
I’d prefer to expose ourselves to Google as XSF, as Google will recognize us, I’d like to be able to make explicit use of the expertise that lives within XSF and I’d like to avoid being involved in two different organisations that participate in GSoC.
You already mentioned you’d be willing to act as an org admin for the XSF - that’d be my preferred solution. What do you need to make that happen?
I guess whatever the XSF needs to make it happen. Please note that I also want to mentor (which is not a problem, but people expressed that they don’t want the XSF org admin to also mentor).
Also the GSOC deadline is soon. IIRC the XSF board, given that it is the body who has to decides if the XSF will participate, will not meet before the deadline. Hence I’d like to get feedback about whether or not this is going to happen by Sunday, so that I have enough time to kick off my fallback plan.
Understood, that’s fair. The XSF board will meet tomorrow. I will bring
this to a vote. If you are available, it’d be good if you could lurk in the
MUC.
The XSF has decided to not participate in GSoC 2018. If we want to participate, we’ll have to apply as an organisation ourselves.
So OK for me to fill out the application form as Ignite Realtime Foundation?