Summer of Code Now Taking Student Applications

chrisd writes "Just wanted to let you know that we've opened up the student application process for the Summer of Code. We've signed up ~100 mentoring organizations this year, including Apache, Postgres, Xiph, The Shmoo Group, Drupal, Gallery and many others. We're accepting applications through May 8th this year."

Re:Age requirement

[HaMMeReD3]

Maybe practice for a year, topcoder is a good place to start.

This is good

[mikesd81]

This reminds me of an article on /. the other day about young people losing interesting in coding. The fact that they can have this program and it's successful tells me that they are in fact *not* losing interest in coding.

Do your own Web 2.0 startup this summer instead

[Anonymous Coward]

While some smart,young people will choose to get involved with these open source projects, some other smart,young people will be developing and launching their Web 2.0 startups. Yep, the seeds of the next Google will be planted this summer, and it definitely won't come from the people working for $4500(?) for 16 weeks of full-time work.

Thank god Larry and Sergey didn't spend their time working on some open source project called BackRub, otherwise there won't have been any Google.

To every geek, coder, student out there....let this be the Summer of You. Fwak Google and fwak open source. Do it for yourself. Create great code and try to make serious money off it.

Re:Age requirement

[damiam]

I'm sure that a lot of under 18yo folks would take the CoS jobs, pay or no pay.

I would imagine that anyone interested in doing one of these jobs for no pay is quite welcome to do so, 18 or not.

You college students are lucky!

[CoughDropAddict]

I would have loved the opportunity to do this while I was in college. Seize it while you can!

When you are a little kid, you have tons of time, but little skill, so you spend a lot of time being bored.

When you are an adult, you have a lot more skill and you're capable of doing great things, but so many things compete for your attention (job, house/apartment, car, family) that it's harder to chase big ideas. The people who do so become the abnormal people we call "startup founders."

College is this great crossover where you're just becoming good enough to do great things, but it's still normal to live in a totally non-domestic way. It's the time to chase big dreams.

Google is not only giving you lots of great ideas for interesting work and arranging for mentors to guide you through the learning process, but they're paying you to do it! Find a project that sounds up your alley, and do it!