Re: GSoC - continue: answer to Google's question

[Graham Percival]

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 10:39:28PM +0100, Janek Warchoł wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 1:19 AM, Han-Wen Nienhuys <address@hidden> wrote:
> > I think FSF/GNU project can and has acted as organization in the past.
> 
> I guess so.  GSoC FAQ says this:
> 
> "5. What tax related documentation is required from mentoring organizations?
> We will need the following tax related documentation from mentoring
> organizations or umbrella organizations:
>     For organizations based in the United States, we will need a
> completed IRS form W9.
>     For organizations based outside the United States, we will need a
> completed IRS form W8-BEN."
> 
> I'm not familiar with IRS forms, but i guess the "umbrella
> organizations" part concerns us and FSF/GNU.
> Shall i contact FSF or maybe someone who is more widely recognized in
> GNU will do this?

Maybe wait 12 hours in case somebody else wants to do it, then try
to contact the FSF yourself.  Applications start tomorrow and only
run for a bit over a week, and it might take time to get the
paperwork to/from the FSF.

> > I hate the wiki, but I guess that might be a good place to put the
> > ideas page.  The wiki page should be protected, and give a link to
> > the issue tracker as well.
> 
> Why not have it as a part of our website?  I mean, a completely
> separate page on lilypond.org.  I don't think it needs to be
> eye-candy.

hmm... ok.  Add it to Community, between Development and Authors,
but with the same color as Development.  Patch goes on rietveld as
usual.

> >> Who will be your backup organization administrator?
> >>     Carl? (Graham would be the main one?)
> >
> > Hmm.  What's involved for the organization administor?
> 
> see here: 
> http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2012/faqs#org_admin_role
> seems quite like the stuff you're doing.

I agree; I can do that, provided you get the application together.

> >> Also, from what i understand, we should have mentors declared for each
> >> project in our Ideas List (i.e. mentoring GSoC student is a personal
> >> responsibility).  Who is interested in being a mentor?  You get $500
> >> for this.
> >
> > No you don't.  $500 goes to the project, not the mentor.
> 
> True, but i thought we (LilyPond, the project) were intending to give
> them to mentors?

I don't think so.  And if we have the FSF handle the tax side of
things, I think they get the money.  They might want to keep it --
at the very least, if we wanted to use that money, I think we'd
need to submit a budget or expense claim or something.

I figure that the important thing in GSoC is having paid
student(s) working on lilypond, so I don't mind if the FSF just
keeps all the money.  I mean, I don't think it's worth
jeopardising the possibility of having paid student(s) by fussing
over that $500.

- Graham