the “summer of code”
Google announced a new program today called, the “Summer of Code.” In their neverending quest to outdo everyone, all the friggin time, Google will be offering $4500 awards to each student participant who successfully completes an open-source programming project with any one of the participating organizations. They’ll be accepting 200 students to start, I think, but it seems like they’ll take more if they get them. This is so awesome. Of course, they’re are some selfish motives - they’ll be finding some great student programmers to mentor and cultivate into productive Google adults. Other than that, I can’t see any downside.
From they’re announcement:
“The open source model of software development is one of the most effective innovations of all time. Who doesn’t love the idea of great programmers working on their own time to crank out elegant code that benefits us all?
“Summer of Code,” Google’s latest open source initiative, is expressly designed to get the brightest minds on campus contributing code to open source initiatives and inventing new open source programs. After all, while altruistic motives are praiseworthy and the rewards of peer recognition sweet, the idea of a financial prize for stellar work predates the Nobel Commission – and who really needs money more than broke college students?
So here’s the skinny: we’ll give $4,500 to applicants who successfully work with a sponsoring organization or advisor to create innovative or useful open source software. We’ll also get you a t-shirt to go along with the cash.”
Google makes me want to go back to school again, and THAT’S saying a lot.
[via slashdot.]
That company is smart man. This is a perfect way to get new programmers. They realize that the prettiest carrot is green…
Small correction - it’s “their announcement” not “they’re announcement”.