GSoC / OPW mentors are facing 10 intense days selecting our next group
of interns.
Some suggestions:
ALWAYS
* Be nice and welcoming, especially in your first messages exchanged.
There will be time for wikitech-style blunt straightforwardness. ;)
* Rely as much as possible in public channels to discuss with the
candidates. Any proposal is a community project, not your pet project.
BEFORE THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE
* Get a second co-mentor for the proposals you want to see accepted.
It's not easy but the success rate is remarkably higher, and the
workload for each remarkably lower. Could be a profile complementary to
yours: technical vs community, professional vs volunteer, maintainer vs
power user, East vs West... The candidate and the project will benefit a
lot.
* You are supposed to be very responsive these days. Say 24h max for an
answer. Failing to do so will diminish the chances of your candidates /
proposals. As said, a second co-mentor always helps.
* Help your candidates, within certain limits. Candidates must have the
skills to prepare a proper plan for their own proposals.
* Asses the capacity of the candidate to complete the project. A nice
written proposal is important but don't rely on this alone.
* Assess the availability of the candidates. This is like a full time
job, with certain margin of flexibility for regular studies (but still).
SELECTING CANDIDATES
After the deadline we will meet to prioritize GSoC and OPW candidates.
* If you have more than one candidate be ready to prioritize them. One
mentor can take only one project, unless there is a good justification
for taking two (e.g. strong co-mentors in both).
* Read also the rest of proposals and pencil your own ranking with a
Wikimedia / MediaWiki wide agenda in mind.
* Be ready to negotiate the place of your candidates in the general
ranking. In other words, don't push blindly for "your" proposals.
Needless to say, you must read the official GSoC manual for mentors:
http://en.flossmanuals.net/GSoCMentoring/
There is more good reading at
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Mentorship_programs/Possible_mentors
If you are a good mentor your know that 20 minutes reading docs can save
you a lot more time and energies. ;)
--
Quim Gil
Technical Contributor Coordinator @ Wikimedia Foundation
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Qgil