Hello everyone, and welcome to Week 1 of GSoC 2016! @surangak and I hope you’ve had a good start getting coding started the in the past day or so.
Most weeks (not every week), we will be sending out a quick note with announcements and tips. Please keep an eye on the #community:gsoc category here on OpenMRS Talk, and feel free to reply to the weekly updates with questions or comments that you may have about the items in the update, or any other related questions.
Weekly Feedback Forms
Starting this Friday (UTC), you will be required to submit your weekly feedback form by the end of the weekend. Please keep an eye on your email (the same primary email address you use for your OpenMRS ID) for the link, and don’t delay in submitting the forms: If you miss 3 forms, you will be automatically removed from the program!
The feedback you share is highly valuable and allows us to adjust how things are going and prevent problems with your project’s timeline before they start. Keep in mind your feedback is confidential and we want to hear both good and back feedback you may have each week.
Thanks in advance!
Commit Early & Often. Communicate Early & Often.
One of the most valuable things you can do this summer is commit your work to GitHub frequently – at least every day or better, even more frequently. Not only does this help prevent data loss in case something happens to your computer, it also helps us keep an eye on how things are going for you, and provide help if you’re getting stuck or delayed. We want you to be successful this summer, and frequent GitHub commits are the key!
Along with code commits, the 2nd most valuable thing you can do is communicate. In addition to your public communication on OpenMRS Talk, this also means you should blog regularly about your project, your struggles & problems, as well as your accomplishments. This lets others keep track of the awesome work you’re doing, may help you find answers to challenges, and also helps others who might be searching for something that you’ve already discovered and shared in your blog. You’re required to write at least one blog post each week, but the more the better! Check out other OpenMRS blogs (including GSoC students) at OpenMRS Planet: http://planet.openmrs.org/
Join our IRC Scrum meeting Monday-Friday
You should make plans to join our IRC scrum meeting every weekday and share your updates. This short “meeting” helps to solve any “blocker” problems you may encounter, and is also a great way to quickly learn what other people are working on. For details about the time and how to prepare for your short update, please read: https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/RES/Daily+Scrum+Meeting
Thanks and good luck to everyone as we get started this week. Over the next few months, if you regularly stay in touch with your mentors, and with the rest of the community, we’ll all help your experience to be a successful one.
Michael & Suranga