We are very excited to announce that this year there are two EteSync related projects in Google Summer of Code and one EteSync related project in Outreachy! That is assuming we can find suitable candidates...
Interested? Please let us know! Not sure what it's about? Please read on... Additionally, please don't worry if you don't understand everything below, and definitely don't let it deter you! The whole point of the programs is to help you learn and grow, and your mentors will support you throughout the process.
What are the projects about?
The projects are collaborations between EteSync and both GNOME and KDE. In particular, the project is about adding built-in EteSync support, just like the one being worked on for Thunderbird, so GNOME and KDE users will no longer need to use the EteSync DAV adapter for syncing their contacts, calendars and tasks.
Even if you are unfamiliar with the names GNOME and KDE, if you ever used Linux or BSD before, you have most likely used at least one of them. Together they cover most of the Linux desktop market, and are the default for most Linux distributions.
For more information about the projects take a look at the EteSync entries in both the GNOME GSoC wiki and the KDE GSoC wiki.
What is it?
GSoC and Outreachy are two different (and unrelated) paid summer internships for getting people involved with open-source projects and getting experience with open-source software development. Both internships start in mid-May and end in mid-August, though they have some differences, most notably their eligibility criteria.
Google Summer of Code applicants must be at least 18 years old, and enrolled to an accredited institution (such as a college or a university). The application deadline is end of March, but it's better to start early, since if suitable students are found before, applications may close before too. Students also receive a stipend which varies based on your location but is something between $3000 and $6600 for the program's duration.
Outreachy applicants, on the other hand, must be from communities that are under-represented in tech and not necessarily students (more info on the Outreachy website). Unfortunately though, the application deadline for Outreachy (though not GSoC!) ends today (the 25th of February at 4pm UTC). This means that if you haven't already applied, you may have missed the chance for this round. If you are interested in open-source software you should still check them out for a future one! If you have managed to apply and are interested in working on the EteSync GNOME integration, please look for EteSync in the Outreachy application page. As for the stipend, with Outreachy, successful applicants get a stipend of $5500 for the program's duration.
Why should you join?
This is a great opportunity for getting into open-source development and working on high-impact projects with a large amount of users! You will make end-to-end encryption and privacy more accessible for a large amount of users. You will also learn how to effectively communicate and develop in such an environment and will be mentored by experienced mentors from GNOME, KDE and EteSync. This is in addition to a generous stipend from Google and Outreachy.
How to apply to GSoC?
As said above, the two GSoC projects are collaborations with other open-source projects, one is with GNOME and the other is with KDE. Therefore, the first step for you is to choose which project you would like to work with, and then follow the project specific instructions.
Please also make sure you read the GSoC student guide to familiarise yourself with the program.
Interested? Not sure? Read the instructions but still need some help? Please contact us, either by email or on IRC!