Microsoft Summer of Code ? | The Coffeehouse

Bass
Channel 9, best used in moderation

I was thinking, it would be cool to have a Summer of Code like thing by Microsoft where students work on open source projects in .NET over the summer and get paid for it..

Basically if you are a student and you like .NET and want to work on an open source project in the Google SoC, you have to apply to the Mono project and compete for what is a very limited number of slots compared to the other programming languages. Thus .NET is very much underrepresented in this event. So what this is doing is encouraging students to learn other languages like Python.

Xaero_Vincent
Sexy me

Was Summer of Code ever about learning how to program?

I'm pretty sure you have to be pretty proficient in a language to compete.

Bass
Channel 9, best used in moderation

I don't believe so. There aren't really many opportunities for someone in University to work on a large scale codebase. So I think it is the first time for many successful applicants. Of course you need to program, but there is a difference between knowing C#/.NET and knowing C#/.NET at a W3bbo or a littleguru level! This is just speculation however.

Anyway Google's SoC is an AWESOME idea. It's really gets Google lots of promotion and PR and it can help them find talent to hire. Microsoft needs something like this I think.

evildictaitor
if( !succeed( try() ) ) { while(true) try(); }

Bass wrote:
I don't believe so. There aren't really many opportunities for someone in University to work on a large scale codebase. So I think it is the first time for many successful applicants. Of course you need to program, but there is a difference between knowing C#/.NET and knowing C#/.NET at a W3bbo or a littleguru level! This is just speculation however.

Anyway Google's SoC is an AWESOME idea. It's really gets Google lots of promotion and PR and it can help them find talent to hire. Microsoft needs something like this I think.

Microsoft's code is behind closed doors, so unlike Google it won't benefit directly from SoC type positions, although it would certainly be nice to see Microsoft do more of this style of encouragement and sponsorship.

In fairness though, Microsoft does have things like the Imagine Cup and other poorly advertised (yet again) challenges for students.

ZippyV
Fired Up

I didn't know people got payed to work on projects in Google's Summer of Code.

littleguru
<3 Seattle

Bass wrote:
I don't believe so. There aren't really many opportunities for someone in University to work on a large scale codebase. So I think it is the first time for many successful applicants. Of course you need to program, but there is a difference between knowing C#/.NET and knowing C#/.NET at a W3bbo or a littleguru level! This is just speculation however.

Anyway Google's SoC is an AWESOME idea. It's really gets Google lots of promotion and PR and it can help them find talent to hire. Microsoft needs something like this I think.

Thanks

but you forgot Sven - the überguru!!

We had once the Express competition running here on Channel 9. I wonder if something like this could be set up again... *thinking*

dahat

littleguru wrote:
We had once the Express competition running here on Channel 9. I wonder if something like this could be set up again... *thinking*

Competitions are always fun... provided multiple people enter them and compete and not just get busy... not to mention them actually ending as planed... grrr.

Dan

I recently blogged about this actually as I think Microsoft runs way too many contests, especially compared to Google or Apple which run 1-3 a year and get much more "bang" for their buck.

That being said, I have spoken to the Port 25 guys that it would be great if we could get some Microsoft sponsored open source projects, but that it shouldn't be competitive but instead collaborative. We'll see how that pans out, but the best thing would be that all developers could reuse the application/library/utility built.

CannotResolveSymbol
{insert caption here}

Dan wrote:

I recently blogged about this actually as I think Microsoft runs way too many contests, especially compared to Google or Apple which run 1-3 a year and get much more "bang" for their buck.

That being said, I have spoken to the Port 25 guys that it would be great if we could get some Microsoft sponsored open source projects, but that it shouldn't be competitive but instead collaborative. We'll see how that pans out, but the best thing would be that all developers could reuse the application/library/utility built.

Thing is, SoC isn't really a competition. There's a competitive aspect in the application process (just like any job opportunity one might have), but after that, it's all collaborative between the student and the projects' developers and mentors.

Dan

CannotResolveSymbol wrote:

Thing is, SoC isn't really a competition. There's a competitive aspect in the application process (just like any job opportunity one might have), but after that, it's all collaborative between the student and the projects' developers and mentors.

Correct, totally agree, sorry for being unclear, that's what I *like* about SoC, it's collaborative instead of competitive and all the projects are open source. I was responding to the "we should do another contest" comments on why we really shouldn't have another contest and instead look at doing things like sponsoring open source projects.

Bass
Channel 9, best used in moderation

Apple and Google built their businesses around or on open source software to varying extents. I think they have a more natural tolerance to open source software as a corporate culture then Microsoft does. Both companies have successfully used open source to help their business goals and to make money. Microsoft I don't ever recall having experience in this area. So it might be hard for someone in Microsoft to convince their superiors that stuff like Google SoC are a good idea (esp. when put in context of Microsoft technologies like .NET).

baker99

An MSSoC would be a great idea, MS already give away Visual Studio express to encourage people to code in .NET, and having students paid to program in MS languages will no doubt encourage them to continue using them after leaving university/college.

I'm sure even the execs at MS would see the benefit of this, it would also be good PR and a slap in Googles face (I'm sure Mr.Balmer would approve).

As for MS not being involved with OS projects, we at WorldWind have always had a great relationship with them, they are keen to help and offer us access to several of thier servers.

(Bull_[UK])

Dan

Totally agree, I think some teams don't "get" community or "open source" so it may partially be about internal education too.

baker99 wrote:
An MSSoC would be a great idea, MS already give away Visual Studio express to encourage people to code in .NET, and having students paid to program in MS languages will no doubt encourage them to continue using them after leaving university/college....

As for MS not being involved with OS projects, we at WorldWind have always had a great relationship with them, they are keen to help and offer us access to several of thier servers.

(Bull_[UK])

Ooh, a Worldwind developer! I've always been a fan and in my previous job, I was the Lead Product Manager for Express and one of the folks who fought to make Express free so I thought it was a really nice touch that Whirlwind gave Visual Studio Express a "shout out" in their release notes Big Smile