Taking Part in GSoC 2023
I’m super excited to annouce that my proposal for
Google Summer of Code 2023 has been
accepted and I will work with the Tor project org.,
specifically I will design their Network Status APIs from the ground-up
(kind-of) using actix_web and Rust.
The Tor Project is a non-profit organization that develops and maintains the Tor network, which is a free and open-source software project that helps to protect user privacy and security online.
Tor works by encrypting user traffic and routing it through a series of relays, making it difficult for anyone to trace the user’s internet activity back to their physical location. This makes it an effective tool for protecting against surveillance, censorship, and other forms of online tracking.
The Tor network is particularly useful for journalists, activists, and other individuals who need to communicate or access information securely and anonymously. It can also be used by anyone who is concerned about their online privacy and wants to avoid being tracked by third parties, such as advertisers or governments.
In addition to the Tor network, the Tor Project also develops and maintains a number of related tools and services, such as the Tor Browser, which is a web browser that allows users to access the internet through the Tor network. They also provide resources and support for developers who want to incorporate Tor into their own applications or services.
Overall, the Tor Project is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to protect their online privacy and security, and it plays an important role in promoting freedom of expression and access to information online.
I’ve been using Tor for at least 7 solid years and this was one of the driving factors that got me interested in the project, being a privacy maniac myself it’s something that I’ve always wanted to contribute to.
Moving to the program itself, for those of you who don’t know what GSoC is:
Google Summer of Code is a global, online mentoring program focused on introducing new contributors to open source software development. GSoC contributors work on a 12+ week programming project with the guidance of mentors from their open source organization. During Google Summer of Code, participating contributors are paired with mentors from open source organizations, gaining exposure to real-world software development techniques.
Contributors will learn from experienced open source developers while writing code for real-world projects! A small stipend is provided as an incentive.
Participating organizations use the program to identify and bring in new, excited developers. Many of those new developers will continue to contribute to their new communities and open source long after GSoC is over.
I applied for GSoC back in March, it’s usually a bit late to apply because in order to maximize your chances you should start to interact with the community ~1-2 months before submitting your proposal and/or contributing with PRs to current projects. But I had nothing to loose and I really wanted to work on this project and be part of this big open-source community, so I spent 3 days working on this document full-time and submitted a PR to another project that my mentors were working on. That turned out to be time super well spent! So, next year, if you’re unsure about submitting your proposal, remember that it’s never too late.
If you’re interested in the proposal I submitted and everything that concerns the project, you can find it here.
I will try to keep you posted during this journey and talk about what I learn
during the process, but I’m super excited to work with Rust and actix_web but
mostly to be a contributor of Tor Project which is vital for so many people all
around the world!