This is interview number 2 of the GSoC applicant series. This time around I've interviewed Francesco Piccinno who had applied to work on Python bindings for Haiku but ultimately chose to work with another organization as they gave him the opportunity to continue a previous project he had started.


1. Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm an undergraduated italian student studying Network and Systems Security here in Milan. I grew up with the passion for programming, and I began to familiarize myself with different languages starting from c and assemblying to c++, python, c#. I have always been interested in reverse engineering and safety issues and also in parallel, network programming. I've also learned to use ui toolkit like GTK and QT.

2. How did you hear of GSoC?

I've read about the program in a programming blog two years ago, and that post caught my interest. Then I decided to give try to test my personal preparation in programming.

3. What convinced you that Haiku is a project worth working on?

I have chosen to submit a proposal for Haiku because it's a project that I've followed for years. I have always been interested in alternative operative systems. The freshness and newness that haiku brought have always captured my interest. I always wanted to collaborate in the creation of this OS in order to feel part of it, and so, I have started to send the first patches. Later after having taken in touch with the Italian community, I decided to try using the GSoC program under indication and suggestion of people like Pierluigi Fiorini.

4. How'd you first hear about Haiku and do you have any experience with BeOS or Zeta?

I've read about it in an computer magazine years ago. The article was intended to introduce BeOS, but also had references to Haiku and Zeta. After that reading I've decided to try BeOS on my computer, and it became my main OS for few years.

5. What did you apply to work on,  why did that specifically interest you?

I've decided to work on Python bindings for Haiku, because I'm already skilled with bindings creation and python programming language. I wanted to put my effort to learn haiku's API and then use that to create documentation that will serve to others and also increase user audience.

6. If you do not get the chance to work on the project you applied for is there another area that interests you?

Currently I'm working with another organization, because they offer me the advantage to continue my previous project that I'll use as thesis. So it was a personal and egoistic choice to not participate with Haiku.

7. What influenced your decision to become a programmer? What is/are your language(s) of choice?

Mainly it was the curiosity to know what was behind the videogames, software and OSes. The rest was pure passion. My languages of choice are assembly (8086), C, C++, C#, Python.

8. Is there anything Haiku (as an organization, website, community, individuals, any facet of Haiku) could have done differently to help you as an applying student? Was anything overly complicated or discouraging?

None.

9. Do you have any suggestions or constructive criticism for the people involved with Haiku's participation in GSoC?

I think that the planning is the most important part. Try to respect the timeline and take in touch with your mentor if your have doubts about implementation. Send a weekly status report to update your mentor about your progress and what you plan to do in the next week. And for the rest try to make your best and enjoy the result :P

10. Besides Haiku, did you apply to any of the other orgs involved with GSoC? If so which ones?

UMIT.

11. Would you be interested in a possible Haiku Code Drive? (a similar format to GSoC but specific to Haiku and donations are taken to raise money to pay the participants)

Sounds interesting but not for me since this year I'm partecipating in GSoC and last year the HCD program was done during the summer about at the same time of GSoC. Btw nice initiative like always ;)