rn-115: include interview with Jialuo She

Author: sivaraam

rev_news/drafts/edition-115.md

@@ -29,9 +29,134 @@ This edition covers what happened during the months of August 2024 and September
 ### Support
 -->
 
-<!---
-## Developer Spotlight:
--->
+## Developer Spotlight: Jialuo She
+
+_Editor's note: We're starting a new initiative in Git Rev News where
+ we interview recent GSoC/Outreachy students to get their reflections
+ on completing their projects. Feel free to share any thoughts or
+ feedback you might have!_
+
+* Who are you and what do you do?
+
+  My name is Jialuo She. I find it quite challenging to select an English
+  name for myself, so I decide to leave it as is. However, you can simply
+  call me "Luo(/lwɔː/)". I am currently employed at NVIDIA as a Tegra
+  System Architect. In this role, I am responsible for developing the
+  verification infrastructure for complex full-chip features, such as
+  CPU-GPU cache coherency. So my daily job is unrelated to Git. In my
+  spare time, I continue my GSoC work to
+  [implement consistency checks for refs](https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/programs/2024/projects/ukm4PTEF).
+
+* How did you initially become interested in contributing to Git,
+  and what motivated you to choose it as your GSoC project?
+
+  When I was a student, I read [the book "Pro Git"](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2)
+  to learn how to use Git in my daily development process. One day, I found
+  a tutorial that teaches how to write a mini Git step by step, and I really
+  appreciated the design of Git.
+
+  As I was approaching my graduate school graduation, I hoped to use the
+  opportunity provided by GSoC to do something meaningful for the long
+  term. Since I felt that I had an understanding of Git's internal
+  principles, believing that my chances of being selected would be much
+  higher. When I saw the "Implement consistency check for refs" project,
+  I became very interested and resolutely chose Git.
+
+* How do you balance your contributions with other responsibilities
+  like work or school?
+
+  As a newcomer, contributing to Git can be particularly time-consuming
+  due to unfamiliarity with the overall codebase. I would dedicate an
+  evening to responding to review feedback, which forces me to think
+  about how to make improvements, and then I would code over the weekend.
+  Of course, if there were urgent situations at work or life, I would have
+  to postpone my contributions to Git. I feel there's no need to think
+  about balancing because it happens naturally.
+
+* What was your biggest takeaway or learning from GSoC that you now
+  apply regularly in your work?
+
+  After participating in GSoC, I begin to consider whether my commit
+  sequence is clear and understandable when writing code at work. I also
+  become more stringent with myself regarding commit messages, ensuring
+  they clearly explain the background, motivation, and implementation
+  details.
+
+ * What was the biggest challenge you faced during your contributions
+   to Git, and how did you overcome it?
+
+  When building the ref consistency check infrastructure, I encountered
+  an exceptionally long review process that lasted about three months.
+  It was quite frustrating because there was no positive feedback compared
+  with other participants. Then I reflected on myself, wondering why I
+  was always comparing myself to others instead of focusing on what I was
+  doing. So, I adjusted my mindset.
+
+* Have you thought about mentoring new GSoC students?
+
+  If I have the opportunity and time, I would definitely mentor GSoC
+  students. I am very grateful to my mentors, Patrick and Karthik, for
+  introducing me to the Git community and enabling me to continue
+  contributing after completing GSoC. I hope that one day I can also
+  ignite the passion in others.
+
+* If you could remove something from Git without worrying about
+  backwards compatibility, what would it be?
+
+  The write and read support for symlink symrefs.
+
+* What is your favorite Git-related tool/library, outside of Git
+  itself?
+
+  I very like [GitLens tool](https://gitlens.amod.io/) when using
+  VSCode. By using this tool, I hardly use the bare `git blame` command.
+
+* What is your toolbox for interacting with the mailing list and for
+  development of Git?
+
+  When reviewing patches, I will firstly use [`b4`](https://b4.docs.kernel.org/en/latest/)
+  or simply fetch the branch stored in the Junio's tree and then I will
+  see the diffs just in the VSCode. To reply to a patch, I download the
+  raw email and use [`mutt`](http://www.mutt.org/) to write contents.
+  When sending patches, I still use `mutt` to make the environment as
+  simple as possible to improve efficiency.
+
+  I develop Git using VSCode and the [clangd](https://clangd.llvm.org/)
+  language server. I generate the `compile_commands.json` file using
+  `compiledb make`. I believe this is one of the best development
+  approaches available today, offering excellent code suggestions,
+  completions, and static analysis.
+
+* How do you envision your own involvement with Git or other open
+  source projects in the future?
+
+  I hope to complete the implementation of all ref consistency checks.
+  Additionally, I aim to further familiarize myself with the Git codebase
+  related to refs, follow the development of the reftable backend, and
+  participate in more reviews.
+
+* What is your advice for people who want to start Git development?
+  Where and how should they start?
+
+  In my opinion, the barrier to starting contributions to Git is relatively
+  high because Git doesn't have something like "good first issue" labels.
+  Therefore, I believe the best approach is to participate in mentoring
+  programs or continue work from certain mentoring programs as a student.
+
+* Would you recommend other students or contributors to participate in
+  the GSoC, or other mentoring programs, working on Git? Why? Do you
+  have advice for them?
+
+  I highly recommend that students integrate into the Git community
+  through mentoring programs. These programs provide basic ideas to help you
+  get started and contribute to Git. Working on Git is an amazing experience,
+  allowing you to be guided by many experienced contributors, improve your
+  code quality standards, and enhance your communication skills.
+
+  As for advice to participants, I believe the most important thing is not to
+  think of the project merely as a resume booster. Instead, let your passion
+  shine through and stay at the community after mentoring programs.
+
 
 ## Other News