[GSoC] Bio JavaScript/Node.js idea (bionode)

Sat Mar 8 20:46:27 UTC 2014

Based on this discussion, I've added the following text to the wiki in the
"cross-project" section:
http://www.open-bio.org/wiki/Google_Summer_of_Code_2014_Ideas#Cross-project_ideas

"""
OBF is an umbrella organization which represents many different programming
languages used in bioinformatics. In addition to working with each of the
"Bio*" projects (listed below), this year we are also accepting a category
of "cross-project" ideas that cover multiple programming languages or
projects. These collaborative ideas are broadly defined and can be thought
of as "unfinished" -- interested students should adapt the ideas to their
own strengths and goals, and are responsible for the quality of the final
proposed idea in their application.

Feel free to propose your own entirely new idea. You can also draw ideas
from Genome Informatics (GMOD) and the National Evolutionary Synthesis
Center (NESCent).
"""

This is not an ideal arrangement, but compromises never are. If we're
advertising ideas that are not firmly grounded, students should be aware of
both the pros and cons.

On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 7:23 AM, Hilmar Lapp <hlapp at drycafe.net> wrote:

> Enthusiasm is great, but enthusiasm without any plan and foresight is by no
> means guaranteed to still result in a positive outcome.
>
> Taking on as many project ideas as there are enthusiastic people behind has
> its own drawbacks, which are neither obvious at first nor harmless. We took
> this approach in the past at PhyloSoC. However, if you have far more
> project ideas with students applying to them than you have any reasonable
> chance of getting slots awarded, stiff competition between project ideas
> invariably leads to student proposals being ranked in part due to the
> merits of the *project idea*. The result of this is that you have students
> applying based on project ideas that never really had the same chance of
> scoring high as others; students are on a playing field that isn't level. I
> find this fundamentally unfair to the students - students don't have many
> chances at accepted proposals, most students only apply for one. There's
> nothing fair if that one project idea they applied to happens to be not at
> the same start position as all others.
>
> Being all inclusive is great, but certain programs benefit more from focus
> on objectives, and I would argue GSoC is one of those. Eric stated well
> what he wants the objectives to be for the OBF participation. Accepting
> everyone who is enthusiastic strikes me as neither necessary nor conducive
> to achieving them. And what will look good to Google is not a lively list
> of projects but student satisfaction.
>
>   -hilmar
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 1:28 AM, Pjotr Prins <pjotr2014 at thebird.nl> wrote:
>
> > I agree with the intent and reasoning.
> >
> > One word of caution, however, it is easier to discourage people than
> > to encourage them. My most important suggestion is to try and say YES
> > more often. We can't have enough project proposals - the actual
> > application process will leave us with the ones we really want
> > (student, mentor and/or content-wise). If members of the community
> > (that community remember) is enthousiastic about an idea I think we
> > ought to embrace it as an org. People come to OBF/GSoC for a reason.
> > So, I'd turn that argument around.
> >
> > A lively list of projects will look good with Google too. The key
> > thing is enthusiasm. The next key thing is talent. Being open may
> > surprise us. Let us be surprised.
> >
> > Pj.
> >
> > On Mon, Mar 03, 2014 at 08:31:02PM -0500, Hilmar Lapp wrote:
> > > Well said, Chris.  -hilmar
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Mar 3, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Fields, Christopher J <
> > > cjfields at illinois.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Pjotr, Peter,
> > > >
> > > > In the end I think this has to be a decision that Eric and Raoul
> make,
> > as
> > > > they are running the show.  We wouldn't have any GSoC 2014 w/o their
> > hard
> > > > work.  My feeling is, in the end, openly discussing these will suss
> > out the
> > > > ones that seem to fit best overall.
> > > >
> > > > My 2c, if it's worth anything: I tend to agree with Pjotr, in that we
> > > > should not limit ourselves to the various Bio*.  If anything, what I
> > > > personally would like to see at the end of the day is a very good set
> > of
> > > > projects overall that we can pick from.
> > > >
> > > > However, I also think a balance needs to be struck, and that whatever
> > we
> > > > accept has to (in the end) benefit OBF.  That, to me, is the purpose
> of
> > > > GSoC.  If it means we can get a new Bio* started up or we can (even
> > > > tangentially) add functionality to one of the Bio* projects, all the
> > > > better.  But I do think this has to feed back to OBF somehow.
> > > >
> > > > The reality is, we simply can't take every project from other related
> > but
> > > > non-accepted orgs.  In some instances, other accepted orgs might
> > simply be
> > > > a better fit, such as BioJS.  It doesn't mean we won't accept
> > > > Javascript-based projects, but all alternatives need to be explored
> > > > (particularly when there are a finite # of slots for a lot of
> > projects).
> > > >
> > > > chris
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Mar 3, 2014, at 5:56 AM, Pjotr Prins <pjotr2014 at thebird.nl>
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > BioJS is browser oriented. It may or may not fit there. See also
> > > > > earlier E-mails on this ML by Chris and myself (Feb 27th).
> > > > >
> > > > > Even so, can we please be open to new project ideas and get rid of
> > the
> > > > > discriminatory programming language notion?  The bioinformatics
> > > > > community is growing rapidly. Way faster than before. We should
> cater
> > > > > for community needs as is represented by project ideas coming out
> of
> > > > > the community.
> > > > >
> > > > > I think, as long as the project is about bioinformatics and FOSS,
> it
> > > > > will fit GSoC/OBF.  We should only filter on the quality of
> students
> > > > > and mentors.
> > > > >
> > > > > Note also that Yannick is a respected member of BioRuby.
> > > > >
> > > > > Pj.
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, Mar 03, 2014 at 11:39:04AM +0000, Peter Cock wrote:
> > > > >> Devil's advocate: Would this not be a better match to
> BioJavaScript
> > > > >> which was accepted as a GSoC organisation in its own right? What
> > > > >> do they think?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/org2/google/gsoc2014/biojs
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Regards,
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Peter
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > GSoC mailing list
> > > > > GSoC at lists.open-bio.org
> > > > > http://lists.open-bio.org/mailman/listinfo/gsoc
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > GSoC mailing list
> > > > GSoC at lists.open-bio.org
> > > > http://lists.open-bio.org/mailman/listinfo/gsoc
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Hilmar Lapp -:- lappland.io
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > GSoC mailing list
> > > GSoC at lists.open-bio.org
> > > http://lists.open-bio.org/mailman/listinfo/gsoc
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Hilmar Lapp -:- lappland.io
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