Merge pull request OpenAstronomy#135 from bmorris3/background

Adding background page

gsoc/background.md

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+---
+layout: default
+title:  "Background on GSoC: start here!"
+show_main: false 
+---
+
+# Background: Start Here!
+
+### What is GSoC? 
+
+Google Summer of Code is a remote summer coding program funded by 
+Google. Google distributes funds to open software development organizations to 
+recruit new developers and mentors for summer mentorships. You get paid to write 
+software at home (or wherever you like), with guidance from expert mentors 
+distributed around the globe.
+
+To apply to be a GSoC student, you must write an application to [GSoC] for one or
+more OpenAstronomy projects. Each summer, [several projects][oa projects] are offered by
+[OpenAstronomy mentors][oa mentors], with well-defined scope and pre-requisite
+experience. If you are selected by OpenAstronomy, you will be a GSoC student.
+
+### What is OpenAstronomy?
+
+OpenAstronomy is an umbrella organization which acts as an interface between
+the Google Summer of Code and several open source, open development projects
+in the astronomical community, including [astropy], [sunpy], and
+[several other projects in the astronomical community][oa members].
+It coordinates mentors and projects for Google Summer of Code mentorships 
+related to astronomy.
+
+### What is the application process?
+
+You must submit your application to the [Google Summer of Code][GSoC], but
+it's preferable that you share it before hand with your potential project mentor
+or the rest of the community. They will give you feedback before the deadline.
+Check the [application template][application] or look up for previous years
+applications on the projects' wikis.
+
+The complete details on applying are in the [GSoC Student Guide].
+
+### Who is eligible to apply to GSoC?
+
+OpenAstronomy is actively seeking applicants who are undergraduates or graduate 
+students with experience developing software for astronomy in 
+Python and other languages. We are looking for students who have or are pursuing
+degrees in astronomy (or physics), who are interested in developing open source 
+software. You don't need to be a Python guru or an astronomical coordinate 
+system expert to be eligible -- projects are available that cover a range of 
+previous experience in Python and/or astronomy. Underrepresented students from
+anywhere around the world are especially encouraged to apply.
+
+### Testimonials
+
+> In the summer after my second year of graudate school, I didn't have funding
+> to work on any projects in my home department. I applied and was selected for
+> GSoC 2015, and I worked with another student and several encouraging mentors on
+> developing a new astropy affliated package, called
+> [astroplan](http://astroplan.readthedocs.io/). The program greatly improved
+> my coding style, taught me loads about managing large projects, version control,
+> testing, and packaging. Do you have a summer without research funding? Apply!
+
+[Brett Morris][bmorris3], GSoC student 2015
+
+> After spending the summer of 2015 as an intern at NIST, I got really
+> fascinated by how much Python aided scientists get the best out their data.
+> Then, while looking for Python projects to perform data fitting and modeling,
+> I found AstroPy. I got really surprised by how easy and intuitive data fitting
+> can be done with the astropy API. That motivated me to start learning git and
+> later contributing code and documentation for the project. Then in the summer
+> of 2016 I applied to the GSoC to work on PSF photometry for
+> [photutils](https://www.github.com/astropy/photutils) and got selected! :)
+> One of the best parts of the GSoC was the amount of learning I got by being
+> mentored by experts in software development and astronomy! If you want to know
+> more about my journey during the GSoC 2016 see my
+> [blog posts](https://mirca.github.io/posts). Also check out some
+> [tips](https://mirca.github.io/gsoc-application/) before applying.
+
+[Zé Vinícius][mirca], GSoC student 2016
+
+### Apply! 
+
+Now that you know you're a good candidate, check out the [GSoC Student Guide]
+to learn how to apply.
+
+{% assign year = 2015 %}
+{% for pro in site.projects %}
+  {% assign path_project = pro.path | split: '/' %}
+  {% assign year_project = path_project[1] | abs %}
+  {% if  year_project > year %}
+    {% assign year = year_project %}
+  {% endif  %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+[GSoC]: https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/
+[oa projects]: /gsoc/gsoc{{ year }}/
+[oa mentors]: /gsoc/gsoc{{ year }}/#/mentors
+[astropy]: http://www.astropy.org
+[sunpy]: http://sunpy.org
+[oa members]: /members/
+[application]: https://github.com/OpenAstronomy/GSoC/blob/master/application_students.md
+[GSoC Student Guide]: https://google.github.io/gsocguides/student/
+[bmorris3]: https://github.com/bmorris3
+[mirca]: https://github.com/mirca

gsoc/index.md

@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ title: Google Summer of Code
 permalink: /gsoc/
 ---
 
+## New to GSoC? 
+
+[Background on GSoC: start here!](./background.html)
+
+## GSoC/Open Astronomy 2018
+
 OpenAstronomy was a GSOC mentoring organisation in 2016 and 2017 and is applying again
 in 2018. OpenAstronomy is an umbrella organisation which collects project ideas
 from any of it's members.
@@ -13,6 +19,10 @@ rules as the [Python Software Foundation] and the [GSoC Student Guide], our guid
 
 All the student blogs are collected in the [OpenAstronomy Universe] site.
 
+## Quick Links
+
+* [OpenAstronomy Student Guide]
+* [GSoC Student Guide]
 
 ## Ideas Pages
 
@@ -22,13 +32,8 @@ All the student blogs are collected in the [OpenAstronomy Universe] site.
 * [2015](/gsoc/gsoc2015/ideas.html)
 
 
-## Quick Links
-
-* [OpenAstronomy Student Guide]
-* [GSoC Student Guide]
-
 
 [OpenAstronomy Student Guide]: /gsoc/student_guidelines.html
 [Python Software Foundation]: https://wiki.python.org/moin/SummerOfCode/2016
-[GSoC Student Guide]: http://en.flossmanuals.net/GSoCStudentGuide/
+[GSoC Student Guide]: https://google.github.io/gsocguides/student/
 [OpenAstronomy Universe]: http://openastronomy.org/Universe_OA/