Symmetry Autumn of Code

The D Language Foundation and Symmetry Investments are pleased to present the 2024 edition of the Symmetry Autumn of Code (SAOC). We invite motivated individuals who enjoy solving problems with code to apply for the opportunity to earn money hacking on D projects. You can find who's eligible and how to apply below.

Those who participate will need mentors, so we're also looking for experienced D programmers to take on the job. If you know the D programming language and enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, we invite you to put your skills to use in guiding and advising the coders who will join us this autumn. We'll even pay you for it! Keep reading to see how you can participate.

We're always looking for more project ideas from the D community. Each SAOC applicant will need to submit a project proposal as part of the application. We ask anyone with an idea for a project that would benefit the D ecosystem and that a solo programmer could reasonably expect to work on part-time for four months, to please let us know.

The Details

What's in it for you

Participants will be tasked with completing four monthly milestones for a project of benefit to the D programming language community. Each participant will be paid USD $1000 upon successful completion of each of the first three milestones (a total of $3000 per participant). At the end of the fourth milestone, the overall progress of each participant will be evaluated by the SAOC committee, and at least one participant will be selected to receive a final payment of USD $1000. That lucky coder will also be eligible for a free pass to the next real-world DConf, including reimbursement of travel and hotel expenses.

Participants

This event is open to anyone over 18, with preference given to undergraduate or postgraduate coders currently enrolled in a school program. We are looking for creative, driven, and goal-oriented individuals who are willing to contribute to the D programming language. Those looking to participate in the Symmetry Autumn of Code should expect to propose an idea for a new open-source project or to establish specific goals for improving an existing project, finalize milestones for evaluation of progress on the project, and work with a mentor for four months to ensure the milestones are met. Participants should expect to put in 20 hours of work each week, keep their mentor updated on their progress, provide status updates in the D forums, and work with their mentor to submit monthly progress reports for review by the SAOC judges.

To apply, please send a project proposal and résumé to social@dlang.org. Make sure the subject line reads “SAOC Application”, and that the project proposal and résumé are attached as files. The proposal is where you sell us on your project. The résumé is where you show us why you're the person to get it done. Markdown is the preferred format. Please do not send files in a word processor format (DOCX, ODT, etc.) or PDF.

Project proposals

In 800 words or less, describe the project to which you're willing to devote four months of work. Why did you select it? What specific goals do you want to achieve? Will it be completed in four months of effort at 20 hrs/week, or will more work be required beyond the event? How will it benefit the D ecosystem and/or community?

Your project should require enough effort to keep you occupied throughout the event while also being beneficial to the D community. You can find a list of project ideas in the dlang/project-ideas repository. You are not required to select a project from this list, but they have been selected by members of the D Language Foundation as relevant to our current goals.

You may also find an idea you like in the issue tracker in the same repository. However, this list is uncurated and some projects may no longer be relevant. Be sure to ask in the D forums before selecting one, where you may also ask for additional project ideas.

It is not an absolute requirement that applicants find a mentor before applying, but doing so will have a positive impact on the evaluation of the application. As such, applicants are encouraged to make an effort to find potential mentors before the application is submitted. Once an applicant decides upon a project, a good first step toward finding a mentor would be a post in the D.announce forum.

Résumé

Briefly explain who you are and why you should be selected. Describe your experience working with the D programming language or the language you're most comfortable working with. Tell us about your life as a programmer: programming languages you've learned, projects you've worked on, and programming-related topics you've studied. We recommend including a link to your GitHub profile if you have any existing work there that you'd like us to see.

Note that you aren't applying for a job! We will not take into consideration your general education or work history. We only want to get an idea of your level of programming experience. It will also help us if you let us know what your course workload or your work schedule will be like for the duration of the event.

If you are currently employed, please be sure to include your employer's name and a point of contact. Before submitting your application, you should make sure your employer imposes no restrictions on your participation in this event and that you are free to contribute source code to open-source projects. If your employer imposes any restrictions but is willing to waive them for this event, please provide proof of such, or the means to obtain proof of such, as part of your application. If your application is selected, failure to disclose this information could result in your removal from the event.

Mentors

We are looking for patient and experienced D programmers who are willing to provide support and guidance to the coders who pursue their projects during the four months of SAOC. Mentors are volunteers who the participants can look to for advice on the D programming language and how to approach solving the problems they encounter as they carry out their work. Participants and mentors will work together to establish the project milestones that will be used to evaluate performance. Mentors will be expected to keep abreast of their coder's progress and to encourage their coder in achieving each milestone.

At the end of the event, each mentor whose student successfully completes the event will receive a one-time payment of $500. Mentors of unsuccessful projects may also be eligible for the same payment at the SAOC committee's discretion.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please submit an email to social@dlang.org and let us know which project, or what kinds of projects, you would be willing to mentor, as well as the number of hours per week you can make yourself available to your coder during the event. The event organizers may ask for more information, such as examples of your level of experience with D, before deciding to accept your offer. Also, please pay attention to the D.announce forum and be on the lookout for SAOC applicants in need of a mentor.

Please note that mentors are not allowed to simultaneously participate as coders. Choose to apply only for one role!

Community

Community members are encouraged to submit ideas for potential projects. Project suggestions should require at least four months of work (assuming a minimum of 20 hours per week) and should be beneficial to the D community. Ideally, each project suggestion should outline specific goals that participants and their mentors can use to measure progress. The project should also provide a reasonable amount of challenge. For example, improve Visual D is not an acceptable suggestion, but a list of specific features to add to Visual D is fine.

Develop your project ideas in the D forums and submit them as individual issues to the dlang/project-ideas repository.

FAQ

Can I use other languages alongside the D language in my project?

Yes, but make sure that the focus is on the D language. We are more likely to select applicants that prioritize it.

How do you select applicants?

We like to see experience with the D language, but a good track record of finished projects in any language is valuable. Preference will be given to graduate and postgraduate students. The proposed project's perceived benefit to the D community is a big factor in the decision, and so is the quality of the proposal. Applicants who are motivated to research their project and provide a solid description of the project in the proposal are just the sort of programmers we're looking for. Finding a mentor before applying is not a big factor, but can make the difference if there are more proposals than available slots when all other things are equal.

Can I work with a partner or a team of people?

No. Symmetry Autumn of Code is intended for solo work.

Can I earn course credit for participating in SAOC?

Please check with your school for their policy. If they determine you are eligible for course credit, we can provide documentation for them upon a successful final evaluation of your SAOC project.

Can the schedule be adjusted to adapt to my school or work schedule?

Unfortunately, no. We understand that our schedule will not work for everyone, and we are sorry if it conflicts with yours. However, we welcome contributions to D outside of SAOC.

How do I find a mentor?

A post in the D.announce forum is the best place to start.

It isn't strictly necessary to find a mentor for a successful application. Doing so may increase the chances an application will be successful and will certainly make the process easier for all involved. If you are unable to find a mentor before submitting a successful application, we will try to assist in matching you up with a mentor suitable for your project, If you already know someone who would be skilled in your proposed project area, don't hesitate to get in touch with them to discuss your project and let us know about it in your application.

Is SAOC considered an internship, a job, or any form of employment?

None of the above. SAOC is an activity that the participants perform as independent developers for which they are paid a stipend. Applicants should check with their school or employer to ensure that participation in SAOC does not violate any school or local government regulations or contractual requirements.

What if my school/employer/local government does prohibit me from being paid as a result of my participation? Can I participate without pay?

Yes. We will accept applications from those who, for whatever reason, wish to participate without pay. The application should make it clear that no payment is expected by the applicant. Those participating without pay will still be evaluated upon completion of each milestone and provided with feedback, but will not receive the stipend and will not be eligible for the free trip to DConf.

What is Symmetry Investments?

Symmetry Investments is a global investment company with offices in Hong Kong, London, Singapore, Jersey & Cayman Islands. We have been in business since 2014 after successfully spinning off from a major New York-based hedge fund.

At Symmetry, we seek to engage in intelligent risk-taking to create value for our clients, partners, and employees. We derive our edge from our capacity to generate Win-Wins—in the broadest sense. Win-Win is our fundamental ethical and strategic principle. By generating Win-Wins, we can create unique solutions that reconcile perspectives that are usually seen as incompatible or opposites, and encompass the best that each side has to offer. We integrate fixed-income arbitrage with global macro strategies in a novel way. We invent and develop technology that focuses on the potential of human-machine integration. We build systems where machines do what they do best: supporting people to do what people do best. We are creating a collaborative meritocracy, a culture where individual contribution serves both personal and collective goals—and is rewarded accordingly. We value both ownership thinking and cooperative team spirit, self-realization and community.

People at Symmetry Investments have been active participants in the D community since 2014. We have sponsored the development of excel-d, dpp, autowrap, mir-algorithm, and various other projects. We started Symmetry Autumn of Code in 2018 and hosted DConf 2019, DConf '22, DConf '23, and DConf '24 in London.