Welcome new Contributors! | Important information for GSoC 2024 (bookmark this email)

[Johnny Jazeix]

Welcome, new Contributors! We are thrilled to have you working with KDE
in GSoC 2024. Congratulations on having your proposal accepted!

In this email we will help guide you through 5 steps for a successful
project. There is no tl;dr because all Contributors should read all the
way through this text to make sure GSoC goes as smoothly as possible.
Please bookmark this email so you can refer back to it later when needed.

The five steps to a successful project are:

  1. Subscribing To Various *Communication Channels* (KDE Mailing Lists,
Matrix Rooms)
  2. Getting A *Developer Account*
  3. Keeping *Status Reports* Up-To-Date During GSoC
  4. *Blogging* Progress Updates With Planet KDE
  5. Understanding *Expectations For Communication* During GSoC

Each of the above is important and should not be seen as optional. Read
through the information here carefully. We want success for you and the
mentors and this information will help us all achieve our goals!

If you have an administration issue, you may write to us directly, but
please read through this email before doing so: kde-soc-management [at]
kde.org

_1. Communication Channels_

This is the first topic for a reason: it enables good communication
across Contributors and teams, which is critical for success. The last
topic is what we expect for communication during GSoC. Communication is
so important it both starts and ends this email!

For the duration of GSoC, it is necessary to sign up to a few mailing
lists (kde-soc, your team's list, kde-devel, kde-community, etc.) and a
Matrix room (#kde-soc:kde.org).

Mailing lists are an old technology, but they are very useful when
communicating with multiple teams. Most KDE lists are used for
well-defined discussions. For GSoC, the most critical ones are the
*kde-soc* list and *your team's list* (if they have one) -- see below
for more information. When subscribing to these lists, make sure "Digest
Mode" is *disabled* so you receive single posts in real time. For all
other mailing lists, you can enable "Digest Mode" to get posts bundled
together (usually one per day but possibly more on busy lists).

The most important mailing list is "*kde-soc*". This is where KDE
contacts Contributors to programs like GSoC (FYI it is also used for
Season of KDE, or SoK). While GSoC is ongoing, you must stay subscribed
to the list so we can address all Contributors at one time. This is the
official channel of communication between KDE and GSoc Contributors!

     https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-soc

Another important mailing list, if the team has one, is to subscribe to
*your own team's mailing list*. Ask the project mentors about a team
mailing list which you should subscribe to.

Yet another list very important for KDE developers, now including you,
is the list "*kde-devel*". This is where KDE developers discuss
development of KDE applications. The kde-devel list is for /all/
developers contributing to KDE. This is your opportunity to discuss with
the wider KDE developer community.

    https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel

You will also need to join the *kde-community* mailing list, which is a
place for non-technical information and discussions which are relevant
to the KDE community as a whole. Non-technical work and community
discussions are as important to KDE as software engineering!

   https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-community

Finally, we strongly recommend registering for Akademy. Akademy is a
week-long event when the KDE community comes together to exchange
information about what is happening at KDE. This year Akademy will take
place 7th – 12th September online and in Würzburg, Germany. It will be
informative and, as always, great fun!

   https://akademy.kde.org/2024/

Beyond mailing lists, Matrix is also used at KDE to chat in real-time.
Using your preferred Matrix client -- consider trying out KDE's NeoChat
:) [1] -- sign up to the *#kde-soc:kde.org* room for GSoC Contributors
and mentors (again, the room is also used for Season of KDE):

   https://webchat.kde.org/#/room/#kde-soc:kde.org.

Your team may also have a Matrix room they use. Ask your mentors about this!

Although Matrix is very useful for quick and ephemeral communication,
never forget: the "*kde-soc*" mailing list is the official channel of
communication between KDE and GSoc Contributors!

A list of additional Free Software communication and collaboration tools
used at KDE (such as BigBlueButton and NextCloud) can be found here:

   https://community.kde.org/Welcome_to_KDE#Get_involved

Talk to the team about their preferred communication channels and
collaboration tools, and use them!

_2. Status Reports_

We have created a wiki page for Status Reports. You can copy the content
from the template there and use it to write your own report over the
course of GSoC. *Keep these reports up-to-date during GSoC.* Upon
completion of GSoC the full report will be the final link to send to Google.

    https://community.kde.org/GSoC/2024/StatusReports

_3. Blogging With Planet KDE_

Don't forget to add your blog to Planet KDE (https://planet.kde.org/) if
you have not yet done so. Planet KDE is an aggregator that collects blog
posts from people who contribute to KDE. Here you will share your
progress updates with the community. Posting frequently is important.
The community is eager to learn about your exciting work, and successful
Free Software projects keep the community engaged.

   https://invent.kde.org/websites/planet-kde-org/

Here is an example MR for adding a blog to Planet KDE:


https://invent.kde.org/websites/planet-kde-org/-/merge_requests/115/diffs.

_5. Expectations For Communication_

Communication is critical for success in GSoC and beyond. Please read
carefully and ask if you have questions!

Use the kde-soc mailing list to ask one another questions, keeping in
mind that most subscribers are fellow students, although some
administrators, mentors, and former students in GSoC and SoK are
subscribed as well. Although many issues will be discussed directly with
your project's team and KDE members over public channels (e.g., GitLab),
questions that your fellow GSoC Contributors can answer are very welcome
here!

KDE's reason for participating in Google Summer of Code is not to get
code from you. Instead, our goal is new KDE Developers! This is why we
require frequent communication from you, each of you, with your team and
your mentor(s).

Like with any Free Software project developed in the open, KDE
contributors notice who asks questions, and who is helpful to their
fellow students. Asking questions can be scary, but it also shows
engagement with a project and an eagerness to learn, two qualities that
will take you far in GSoC and in life.

Private communication is OK if you are passing along truly private
information, such as your private contact information. Otherwise, it is
important that all communication be public. Open development is
fundamental to a healthy project, and like many Free Software projects
we at KDE develop software completely in the open.

Remember, this is not a competition. We are all in this together, and
helping one another is what KDE is all about. We are a community who
makes software. We welcome each of you into this diverse and growing
group of software engineers, artists, writers, translators and creators,
and more!

The KDE Code of Conduct offers some guidance to ensure KDE participants
can cooperate effectively in a positive and inspiring atmosphere, and to
explain how together we can strengthen and support each other. Please
read it here:

   https://kde.org/code-of-conduct/

Feel free to respond to this email at kde-soc with questions and
requests for clarification.

All the best and welcome to the community!

Johnny (on behalf of the KDE GSoC administration team)
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