01995nas a2200121   4500008004100000022001400041245005800055210005500113260004200168520160600210100002101816856003601837       2008                        eng d  a1913-610200aExperiments, Expertise and Google Summer of Code (TM)0 aExperiments Expertise and Google Summer of Code TM  aOttawabTalent First Networkc12/20083 aComputer Science seems to no longer hold sway as the career of choice among North American undergraduates. A variety of reasons for the steady decline of enrollment - down 60% in the United States since 1999 - have been explored. These include economic factors such as concerns about job security and the accompanying increase in off-shoring of information technology roles. Further, studies have noted that Computer Science as a whole simply doesn't look like much fun to today's incoming student populations. There's a general perception that Computer Science means spending one's day chained to a keyboard and monitor, scraping by as a "code monkey". In particular, students cite a lack of a social element as a major deterrent to pursuing a career in Computer Science.

In this article, we examine the Google Summer of Code program, the world's first global initiative to introduce College and University students to free/libre open source software development. Over the past four years, the program has provided a model that allows College and University students to more deeply engage with the joys of computing. The experience of our participants stands in sharp contrast to the generalizations mentioned in the previous paragraph. We will discuss the origins and evolutions of the program, as well as its structure. We will also discuss how students benefit by participating in GSoC, focusing on some select success stories. Finally, we discuss how Google views this investment in the F/LOSS community and its potential to improve the overall progression of Computer Science as a discipline.1 aHawthorn, Leslie  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/210