Having a look at GSoC guides, I came across this:
https://google.github.io/gsocguides/mentor/org-application.html#a-note-on-umbrella-orgs
Google’s program administrators actually look quite fondly on the
umbrella organizations that participate each year. It serves a dual
purpose: it allows Google to accept more organizations in the “space” of
just one, and also gives an opportunity to accept a marginally-topical
org by putting it under the umbrella of a related org.
This answers some of the concerns expressed earlier in the list, whether
the projects should be closely related to Debian or have no relation to
it. The way I understand it is that there is nothing wrong supporting a
project from outside the organization. Including such projects does not
make the application of an organization weaker, but it actually makes it
stronger. I am glad that people at Google are so reasonable and have
such a great common sense.
Following is the email (parts of it) that expressed these concerns:
For what it's worth, I was present at a talk last year in which several
audience members (other than myself) asked several times, in different
ways, what the talk had to do with Debian, and the answer was that it
wasn't actually used anywhere in the project at all, other than that it
was a Debian Outreachy/GSoC project. This was very awkward for the
former interns, and for several members of the audience, and I daresay
left a rather bad impression.
I don't want to see future interns experience a similar very awkward
moment; I think it could actually work very counter to some of the goals
of Outreachy/GSoC.
I've thought about this since, and while I haven't come up with a good
hard-and-fast rule to define how related a project is to Debian, I don't
think it makes Debian look good to host a project in which Debian is at
no point involved in the project, other than in name, with the logo on
the slides, and maybe some overlapping of community members.
Even just using Debian as the development environment is at least
something connected to Debian.
My assumption and/or preference would be that projects clearly related
to Debian or very directly beneficial to Debian be given first
consideration. Maybe that's a reasonable expectation, maybe not.
Obviously, it also comes down to who will do the work, and I have made
no proposals this cycle or see myself being significantly involved this
cycle.
