Scratch is a site that is targeted for kids ages 8 to 16. Sometimes there is inappropriate stuff on this site that may not be suitable for young kids. The report feature exists to help keep the site friendly.

Reporting something is the BEST way to keep the site friendly. However, it can be abused in different ways. This is a guide that will let you know when it is ok or isn't ok to report something and other important things you need to know about this valuable feature.

!IMPORTANT!
DON'T mention that you reported something when using this feature. It can stir up hostility and drama. Instead, just use the report feature on what ever you need to use it on and move on.
Projects

Projects can be reported when….

…. it is inappropriate. Violent scenes, blood, or any type of violence is NOT ok on Scratch. Projects containing things TOO mature for younger kids should also be reported (I am not going to say what it is… )

…..it is a copy of another project, and not a remix. A remix is something that involves the remixer changing something. A minor change is ok AS LONG as it involves the remixer adding his / her own ideas. However, a project that does not have any changes, should be reported. If a remixer only turns on the variables, timer, but does not add any scripting depending on the variables / timer, it can also be reported. If a remixer just deletes sprites, without changing anything, that can also be reported.

….. it attacks a scratcher (or more than one) by using the scratcher's username in a negative fashion. This is called “naming and shaming”, which its purpose is to bring negative attention to the scratcher it is targeting. It is never ok to name and shame a scratcher on scratch- this should be reported.

… it is an uncredited remix. If the remixer remixes your project, and does not give credit to you, even after you asked for a long time, report it. But, first ask for credit, and then report if the remixer does not give you credit even after you have asked for a long time.

…it is a unsafe chatroom. Unsafe chatrooms allow scratchers to type in anything they want, including swearing, bad words, and hate messages. Unlike safe chatrooms, scratchers won't need to pick out words from a list - they can type in anything they want with almost no problem. These types of projects should be reported.

…it makes fun of people, other projects, etc.

….it is a spam project. Spam projects include gibberish to nothing in it.

…it is an extremely scary screamer. Screamers are allowed on the Scratch website, but screamers that are too scary are not allowed and should be reported.

Comments
A comment can be reported when….

…..it is a hate comment. It can be something like “Wow, this project is so bad! You might have only taken 5 minutes to make it!” This type of comment does not offer constructive criticism, but only makes the project owner feel bad. This type of comment should be reported.

……it harasses others for reporting someone. It can be something like “(moderator's username) why did you ban (username)?” This type of comment can also be one that harasses a scratcher for reporting something that is inappropriate. After all, the Scratch Team did take action against the reported scratcher simply because what the Scratcher did was inappropriate. It was the right thing to report someone for inappropriate activity. But comments harassing the reporter for doing the right thing certainly should be reported.

……. it contains swearing. Swearing can contain marks, such as #@$@, or a swear word with asterisks. Typically, swearing is blocked by the censor system, but if a comment does get pass the censor system, you want to report it. Swearing is NOT allowed on Scratch.

……. it contains name calling.

….it is a comment that does not have anything relevant to the project, studio or project. Here are examples of spamming in the comments:

Example one: eosidfhoslkjehdfroedfhowaedhs123efd34rted

Example 2: Cool! Look at my project! (spam link)

…. it was made by a spam bot. Spam bots typically give out their email addresses, which is generally a trap that can get you phished, identity stolen… etc. Spam bots typically will post weird messages, multiple times. When you see one of these types of messages, you wanna report the comment- and FAST. This is very important as reporting this type of comment will delete it and will let the Scratch Team know so that they can ban the spam - bot.

Here is an example of what a spam bot might say:

Hello my dear, How are you doing today? i hope all is well with you over there, please my dear i saw your contact here today and i became interested, my name is (real name).I wish to have you as a friend, if you care. I have important reasons to request your interest for a Serious Relationship, i will be happy if you can send me email at (contact info) so that i can easily explain to you more about me and send you my picture because I have something very Important to tell you.

Now lets examine this comment a bit to show you what a spam-bot might say in the comments. Did you see the (real name) part? Spam - bots can sometimes give out real names. Next, did you see the (contact info) part? Spam bots may give out “contact info” which really isn't a contact info. It is a trap to having your identity stolen or getting you phished. Furthermore, spam - bots usually say weird things that are not relevant to the project, studio, etc.

….it has something like “First comment!”

… it threatens a scratcher.

Here is an example of a comment that threatens a scratcher that should be reported:

"If you don't stop commenting, I will report you!

….it tries to force a scratcher to give out his / her password to his / her account.

….. it is a comment criticizing others about their profile picture (unless it is inappropriate). A scratcher has the right to choose any profile picture they want, as long as it is not against the Community Guidelines.

….it is comment that says something like "[username] got banned". Advertising about a user that got banned only attracts negative attention to the user - that is considered disrespectful.

Studios (Galleries)
Studios can be reported when…..

…. there is swearing in there.

…its picture is inappropriate.

….its descriptions, and/or title is inappropriate.


Forum Posts
A forum post / topic can be reported when…

….. it is in the wrong forum. For example, if a scratcher advertises his project in the New Scratchers forum, that should be reported, as the topic should go into the Show and Tell forum, not the New Scratchers forum.

Note: When a topic is in the wrong forum, please just report it and move on. It is best not to post on that topic saying things like:

Please post in the [forum's name]. The [forums name] is for [purpose of the forums]. I reported it.

^^ That post above may be confusing after the topic is moved. If a topic was in the wrong forum, the Scratch Team will let the user know about it.

…. it contains swearing.

… it is a necropost. A necropost is a post without helpful information that is placed on a thread that has not been replied to for a very long time. See more about necroposting here.

…. it is a post that does not contribute to the thread. That is known as spamming.

….it discusses about scratchers being banned. If a scratcher is banned, he/she should contact the Scratch Team directly to discuss about the issue. The Scratch Team will discuss issues only with those involved.

…. it serves the same purpose of a forum. Topics serving the same purpose of an entire forum only make things harder for the moderators to organize.

… it is a post that posts a link to a inappropriate site.

…. it is a post that reports a problem using specific usernames. This is known as “Naming and Shaming”. Here is an example of what naming and shaming looks like:

Example one: (username) copied project without credit. Here is the link to that copy (link to remix)

…it is a topic that is used for chatting. The forums are not intended for chatting.

…it is a topic that reports a specific user. The forums are not intended for reporting inappropriate stuff. If someone has a problem with another user, he / she should use the report feature instead. Reporting problems in the forums takes the Scratch Team longer to get to the problem as opposed to having a report sent directly to them. Reporting problems in the forums advertises the problem and brings negative attention to the user(s) involved.

….. it is a topic that wants others to report stuff on it. The forums are not intended for reporting inappropriate stuff. If someone has a problem with another user, he / she should just use the report feature instead, which notifies the Scratch Team directly.

…. it spams emoticons. This is an example of what spamming with emoticons look like:

This type of spam can even be just a post filled entirely with emoticons.

…it looks spammy, like this:

BUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMP

This type of spam can also be an entire post.

…it uses Scratch Blocks in a way so that the post does not contribute to the topic. Lets say that we have a suggestion topic, and someone responded with a post like this:

when gf clicked
forever
if <(suggestion)= [good]>
say [I support!]//This part is ok - it contributes to the thread.
if <(supporters)>[1]>
say [WHY NO SUPPORTERS!?]//This part does not contribute to the thread. Therefore, it is blockspam.

If a post uses ScratchBlocks to talk, it is perfectly fine as long as the ScratchBlocks contribute to the topic. If it does not contribute to the topic, it should be reported.

……it gives out personal information, such as real names. First names are allowed, but last names should be kept private. If you see a forum post with a real name AND the last name, report it. However, first names are ok.

… it is a spam topic/posts. A spam topic typically has contents irrelevant to Scratch with links to dangerous sites. A spam topic may look like this:

Watch TV 2014!
(spam link)
(spam link)
(spam link)
(spam link)
(spam link)

If you see a topic like this, report it immediately. Do not reply to it - it gives the Scratch Team more work of deleting the topics. These topics/posts are always deleted (moved to the dustbin).

……misleading information. This can be considered “tricking the Community”, which is against the “Be Honest” guideline.

The report function in the forums is not just for reporting disrespectful actions.
A forum post can also be reported when…

… the topic owner wants his / her topic closed. If the topic has been created for over 24 hours, the topic owner can close it on his/her own. But if not, the topic owner can always report it to request that the topic be closed.

…. it is a duplicate topic. A duplicate topic is a topic that is a copy of another topic. Duplicate topics are unneeded, because the original topic most likely has been replied to.

… a scratcher wants his/her topic or post deleted. Back in Scratch 1.4., scratchers had the ability to delete their own posts and topics. But now, in Scratch 2.0., because of a glitch where you can delete everyone's posts in a topic after 24 hours since they were posted, this feature currently does not exist. But for now, if a scratcher would like his / her topic or post deleted, he / she can always report it.

… a scratcher wants an important and helpful topic to be stickied.

…. the topic owner wants his / her topic opened. Before, there was a feature where scratchers could open their topics, but it was removed, due to the fact that some are reopening topics closed by the Scratch Team.


Reporting Profiles

A user should be reported if….

…. his / her “About Me” section or “What I am Working On” section contains inappropriate contents.

…. his / her username is inappropriate.

… his /her profile picture is inappropriate.

Note: This report function is only for reporting a user's profile picture, username or the About Me / What I am Working on section. If your report is about inappropriate projects or comments that this user is making, please click cancel and click report on the inappropriate projects or comments.

When is it NOT ok to use the report function?

Reporting is a great way to report problems to the Scratch Team. However, it can be misused by using it to report things that should not be reported.

Do not use the report feature if…

…. you do not like a certain studio. Just ignore it instead of focusing on it.

… a project is a remix with changes, and not a copy.

… something is not inappropriate.

… you don't like someone's project. Just because you don't like someone's project does not mean that it is inappropriate.

…you are mad at someone for reporting inappropriate activity.

…. you don't like a user.

….. you don't like a suggestion. Unless it implies something against the Community Guidelines, the report feature should not be used for a suggestion you disagree on.

WARNING! Misusing the reporting feature by reporting things that do not break the Community Guidelines or the Scratch Rules will result in an alert (warning). Continuing to misuse the reporting feature can cause your account to be blocked. Only use the reporting feature if you are sure that the stuff you are about to report really breaks the Community Guidelines or the Scratch Rules. Exceptions may occur if the report is about a forum post / topic.

What should I do if I accidently reported something that I did not intend to report?

Always be careful when reporting something. However, in the event that you do accidently report something that you did not intend to report, use the Contact Us form to explain to the Scratch Team the situation. If the accidental report was done on a forum post or a comment, don't worry about it - it happens a lot from time to time. The moderators aren't going to take the time to find a specific report out of the hundreds they recieve.

How do I report things on Scratch?

Comments

Hover your mouse over the comment. You will see a Report button at the right of the comment. Click that, and you will be asked if you are sure that you want to report the comment. If you are sure, click ok.

Note: You can't report your own comments.

Projects

At the bottom of the project, you will find a “report this” button. Click that button and select from the dropdown a reason for reporting. Then, type in the required information. If none of the dropdowns suite your reason for reporting, select “other” and type in the reason. Once done, click send. You will be asked if you are sure you want to report the project. Hit “ok”. You can't view projects that you've reported.

Studios

There is a “report studio” button above the studio description (and below the studio picture). Click that button and select the reason(s) for reporting the studio.

Forum Posts

At every bottom right of each forum post, there is a report button. Click that button and type in a reason for reporting that post. Then, click submit, or hit alt + shift + s.



Profiles (users)

Go to the user's profile page. At the “What I am Doing” section, you will see a Report Profile button. When clicked, you will be asked if you are sure that you want to report that user. If you are sure, click ok.

Note: You can't report your own profile.


Complicated situations

If something you are reporting is complicated, use the Contact Us form.

What does the Scratch Team do when they find something inappropriate?
When the Scratch Team finds something inappropriate, they will remove it. Then, they will send a warning (alert) to the scratcher who posted the inappropriate stuff. If the scratcher has been known to post lots of inappropriate stuff despite alerts, they will get blocked. For more information, see the topic “What does the Scratch Team do when they find something inappropriate” by Paddle2See. You will find a link in the “Helpful References” section below.

Have any questions about reporting?
You can ask the questions here, and I or other experienced scratchers will answer them. Please only ask questions about reporting here - other questions irrelevant to reporting will be moved.
When asking questions, please do not mention the usernames that you are planning to report, or give out links to relevant pages - that can bring negative attention to the ones that you are planning to report. That can potentially cause unnecessary drama.


Helpful References:

What does the Scratch Team Do When They Find something Inappropriate? by Paddle2See*

What is or isn't Ok to Share On Scratch? by Lightnin*

What is spam? by -Spectrum

Spam-Bot Activity - How you Can Stop It by ProdigyZeta7
This topic is outdated since there are no longer spam-bots spamming on Scratch. However, there are still spam-bot like posts, from real human spammers, which means that this thread is still useful.

Scratch Rules

Community Guidelines

Article on Reporting on Scratch Wiki


* Scratch Team indicator

Nice job! This should become a Sticky.
Hey, first post! k9lego

Wait, spam can be reported too?

ProdigyZeta7 wrote:

Wait, spam can be reported too?

Yes, it can, since it is something unneeded.

Ah… Some things here I never knew. This is quite helpful! I have always wondered whether or not to report someone/something, and this is the perfect guide to help me make that decision! Great stuff here!

spaceyJC wrote:

Ah… Some things here I never knew. This is quite helpful! I have always wondered whether or not to report someone/something, and this is the perfect guide to help me make that decision! Great stuff here!

Thanks!

This is a pretty nice guide!

Thanks

k9lego wrote:

Nice job! This should become a Sticky.
Hey, first post! k9lego

Thanks!!! I hope it becomes a sticky….

How do I stop someone who threatens to report me? Report him/her too?

ScratchJahd2011 wrote:

How do I stop someone who threatens to report me? Report him/her too?

Yeah, you should add this, probably under Comments.

ScratchJahd2011 wrote:

How do I stop someone who threatens to report me? Report him/her too?

If someone threatens to report you and you did not do anything wrong for sure, just report him / her. And don't worry, if you did not do anything wrong, that person who wants to report you is the one that will get warned / banned.

Great guide! I added it to our top-level sticky topic (we were getting too many stickies so we had to consolidate).

First post after iTopic'd!

Is it Ok to post a comment asking them to give credit? and would ‘Keep Quiet’ be ok to report? Also, Is it ok to report something not giving credit to you?

In reply to Mc-pinapplepegasus

Is it Ok to post a comment asking them to give credit?

Yes, it is. There is nothing wrong with asking someone to give you credit for something they got from you.

and would ‘Keep Quiet’ be ok to report?

That depends. If it was a phrase like ‘keep quiet, you (bad word)’, then yes, you should report it. But if someone gives you a secret (that is not against the Community Guidelines of course), and tells you to ‘keep quiet’, it should be ok to stay and should not be reported.

Also, is it ok to report something not giving credit to you?

If someone does not give credit to you when remixing, ask for credit first. If they refuse flatly or ignore you for a long time, then, yes, report the remix.

Is it okay to report a comment like this:

9we8ryvn93487tbgv98ru

Or this:

Cool, please look at my studio! (link to studio)

ppettitt wrote:

Is it okay to report a comment like this:

9we8ryvn93487tbgv98ru

Or this:

Cool, please look at my studio! (link to studio)

Of course!! It is even on the list on the first post!

To make it simple, anything that is spam should be reported.

Great guide! (I'll admit I did not read that long thing, but will use it for reference)

turkey3_test wrote:

Great guide! (I'll admit I did not read that long thing, but will use it for reference)

Thank you!