[jdev] Google Summer of Code

[Peter Saint-Andre]

On Sat, Jun 04, 2005 at 04:43:52PM +0200, Piotr P. Karwasz wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 03, 2005 at 12:58:48PM -0500, Peter Saint-Andre wrote:
> > I have created a web page about the JSF's involvement with the Summer 
> > of Code program, including a preliminary list of possible projects:
> > 
> > http://www.jabber.org/developer/summerofcode.shtml
> > 
> > I'm sure there are many more potential projects lurking out there, so
> > let's discuss them on the list here and I'll update that page.
> 
> You mention many possible proposals in the page, but some of them are more
> important for the community than other. By lurking this mailing list from
> some time, I suppose that the main goals/most requested features are:
> 
> * Avatar support

Lots of clients support this feature using a protocol that I will
document Real Soon Now [tm].

> * Pubsub support

We have the service implementations (Idavoll component, ejabberd server)
but (IMHO) no compelling applications or client-side support yet.

> * VoIP support (but this one is rather a Ph.D. project)

Um, yeah, I think that is a Ph.D. project. :-) But I know of one Summer 
of Code proposal about integrating some Jabber features into Asterisk
(more about notifications etc. than the VoIP side of things, but you
never know where a project like that might lead).

> * Virtual presence

Heiner loves VP, but I haven't seen a lot of demand for it myself yet.
;-)

In general, the main focus of the Summer of Code is to get students
interested in and familiar with open-source software development. IMHO
the best way for that to happen is to work on a project that really
excites you. Naturally it would be nice if such a project also added a
feature that lots of people want, but that is not the primary goal, I
think. If the top #1 issue was avatar support but the only proposal we
received was to write a C++ library for Jabber/XMPP development, we'd
approve the proposal and not tell that person to work on GUIs. :-)

Peter