Debian is part of the Google Summer Of Code again this year (2008).

Last year was quite successful, so we hopefully will get at least as many slots as last year.

Applications will be possible March 24th to March 31st. This means, you should already starting writing your project proposals and get feedback by possible mentors. Ideas can be found in the Debian Wiki, but notice these are just ideas. You are by no means limited to what we're proposing there.

As for writing an application, here are some general notes:

• Start writing early, submit early. The early ones get best exposal to mentors. When we read the nth proposal for the same project, we're usually quite bored already. Especially with respect to feedback this IS a benefit for the early proposals
• Don't just copy & paste. We're not stupid. We want to know if you understand the subject and have good ideas, so show that. We're not interested in your ability to access the Wiki, we trust you on that one.
• Communicate. Open Source is about communication and collaboration. So get feedback from people who work on the related subjects and possible mentors. Don't keep your application secret. You don't have to be afraid someone could steal your application (remember, we read the applications, and we can tell who has just been using copy & paste and who is able to answer our questions!) - but you DO need the feedback to improve your application.
• Use all communication media. The GSoC web application has it's limits (e.g. by not being open yet). So make use of the IRC channels (#debian-soc in OFTC) and the mailing lists for your project. We'll also use these to judge your application, not just the web interface. "Has been asking good questions on the mailing list" is one of the best verdicts you can get.
• Bring in your own ideas. We're looking for talented, interested people, not "stupid work horses". So show what you've got.
• Don't be afraid of challenges. This is all about stepping up to a challenge. We'll help you succeed. If you e.g. aren't experienced in Python yet, but the proposal says "Required skills: Python", just be honest. Mention that you're a good Ruby coder, and we'll trust you on being able to pick up Python in a short timeframe. And maybe even just start already in filling such a gap.

In turn, we (= the mentors and admins) will try to (again - we did that last year) have at least three mentors read through your application, provide feedback on it and judge it. We don't draw lots for the slots, but we'll rank the applications based on the scoring by the mentors. We'll also try to assign you a fallback mentor in case your mentor has to step back for whatever reason and to give you additional people to talk to.