Spammer wrote:

Tag, you're it! Pass this on to 10 nice Scratchers that you know. If you get 10 back, you're a SUPER nice and amazing Scratcher! If you break the chain, nothing will happen. BUT PLEASE PASS THIS ON! Spread the positivity!!!

Spammer wrote:

DO NOT READ THIS. This is so freaky! Now that you have started reading this, you can't stop. On the nearest Friday, your crush will kiss you and you will have good luck for the rest of the week. But in order for that to happen, you have to do the following: 1. say your name 10 times. 2. Say your mom's name 15 times. 3. Say your crush's name 20 times. 4. Pass this on to 5 games in the next 300 seconds. If you don't, you will have very bad luck.

Spammer wrote:

10 facts about you: Fact 1: You are reading this. Fact 2: you cant say the letter ‘m’ without touching your lips. Fact 3: You just tried it. Fact 4 your smiling. Fact 6: You're smiling or laughing again. Fact 7: you didn't notice I missed fact 5. Fact 8: You just checked it. Fact 9 You're smiling again. Fact 10: You like this :)

Comment author wrote:

Hello! I'm, just here to inform you that I'm also telling this message to the rest of my 100 followers. Thanks! Random Numbers to avoid spam: 389845

The Terms of Use wrote:

3. Rules of Usage
3.5 You agree not to use Scratch in any way intended to disrupt the service, gain unauthorized access to the service, or interfere with any other user's ability to use the service. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
4. Repeatedly posting the same material, or “spamming”;

Spammer wrote:

Can you please give feedback on my latest game? I tried checking for bugs but I just wanna make sure. and if you can, can you ask your friends to give feedback as well?

Spammer wrote:

nice project, plz check out my game: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/xxxx/

Spammer wrote:

I love this project!! Oh, I also have an animation called “I love muffins” you can go check it out it's on my profile, it's my featured project

Spammer wrote:

Nice Studio. I have a studio named “Cats, dogs, and bunnies” plz go check it out

Spammer wrote:

PLZ FOLLOW MEEE!!!!!!!

Paddle2See wrote:

I like to call it a “support sandwich”, first you type something you like about the project, then you type something that could be fixed or added in the project, then you type how that could be fixed, and then once again, you comment what you like about the project.

Constructive person wrote:

Nice project! I really like all of the little animals. However, I noticed that the lion's animation is a bit wonky. I checked the code and saw the costume changes were in the wrong order. That can just be easily fixed with that handy drop-down menu. But, I still really like this! The cats are so adorable!

Not-so-constructive person wrote:

THIS GAME IS SOO TERRIBLE!!! You know why? THE LION LOOKS SUPER WEIRD!!! I can't believe you shared it like that lol!!!!!! Fix the costume order!!! Geez why wouldn't you fix that??

Kind-of-constructive person wrote:

Fix the Lion's costume order.

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be constructive.
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

Suggester wrote:

Nice project! I think you could add a menu and a game over sign. Once again, I really like this project!

Not a good Suggester wrote:

Nice project, but I think you could add animations, music, a platformer, a menu and make all of the sprites purple.

Rude person wrote:

LOL YOU'RE SO BAD AT CODING!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS OMG YOU SUCK AT CODING HAHAHAHAH XDDDD

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Help keep the site friendly.
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let us know about it.

Flame Warrers wrote:

Person 1: I don't like that person.
Person 2: Well if your opinion isn't nice, be quiet.
Person 1: But what about freedom of speech?
Person 2: Being rude is abusing freedom of speech!
etc, etc, etc…

-ShadowOfTheFuture- wrote:

Flame wars ≠ debates. Flame wars, according to the Scratch Wiki, are “unfriendly arguments between two or more users on the forums or main site and also a common type of cyberbullying. Flame wars are not allowed, for they cause a disruption in the community, are disrespectful, and can harm people emotionally.” On the other hand, a debate, according to the definition given by Google, is "a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward." The difference between a flame war and a debate is that debates are civilized. It's a good thing that flame wars are banned, because they are a form of bullying and can lead to Scratchers feeling hurt or even quitting Scratch. Banning flame wars does not mean that debates aren't allowed, it just means that they should be carried out in a polite, civilized way, and I'm sure most people are perfectly capable of debating without banging on tables or screaming at each other.

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be respectful.
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

Gossipers wrote:

Person1: Omg, I heard that Person 3 bullied Person 4!!!
Person2: Omg, that's so rude of them. I heard that Person 3 called Person 4 a dirty dog! :(!!

• Say what you like what about the project/person/studio
  
• If you can, offer Constructive Criticism
  
• Tell the creator they did a good job
  

• Put yourself down. Example:

  Comment author wrote:

  This is soooo good! I can't do as well as this, I'll never be as good as you.

  Putting yourself down may not only make the creator feel uncomfortable, but it's rude to yourself. Try to comment in positive ways!
  

Threatener wrote:

If you don't love and favorite all of my projects in the next 24 hours, your account will be deleted, and even if you use Contact Us you can't bring it back!!!!

The Rejections Sticky wrote:

12. A 13+ version of the website
Scratch is designed for all ages, and dividing the community would not really help anybody.

The Rejections Sticky wrote:

20. Ignore List (Blocking Users)
It just buries the problem. If you have a problem, report the user.

The Rejections Sticky wrote:

Deleting comments on other profiles/Deleting Forum Posts
It is so you cant just post spam and stuff. Jvvg says it better:

jvvg wrote:

This is so that people can't post troll comments and then delete them, while you aren't likely to troll people on your own projects, studios, or profile…)

Roleplayers wrote:

Person1: Jane walked through the forest, looking for Alice. “Alice!” She called.
Person2: Alice heard Jane's voice and started running towards her. “Jane!” She cried. “Is that you?”

WolfCat67 wrote:

Could you possibly put a space in between the last part of each sub-section and the bolded words? It made it a little difficult to look through.
Side-note: Really minor thing, but you spelled “Gordon Ramsay” incorrectly.

-ShadowOfTheFuture- wrote:

This is a nice guide!

Just a note: the Show and Tell forums aren't the only places where you can advertise. You can also advertise in your forum siggy, or in your own projects and studios. Also, some people allow advertising in their studios/profile, so you might want to add a note about that. You're also sort of allowed to link to your own project if you think it could help someone with something like a script, but that doesn't really count as advertising

You might also want to add an extra space between the beginning of a new section (like the bolded words), and the line before it so it's a bit easier to read.

wWSunPandaWw wrote:

WolfCat67 wrote:

Could you possibly put a space in between the last part of each sub-section and the bolded words? It made it a little difficult to look through.
Side-note: Really minor thing, but you spelled “Gordon Ramsay” incorrectly.

-ShadowOfTheFuture- wrote:

This is a nice guide!

Just a note: the Show and Tell forums aren't the only places where you can advertise. You can also advertise in your forum siggy, or in your own projects and studios. Also, some people allow advertising in their studios/profile, so you might want to add a note about that. You're also sort of allowed to link to your own project if you think it could help someone with something like a script, but that doesn't really count as advertising

You might also want to add an extra space between the beginning of a new section (like the bolded words), and the line before it so it's a bit easier to read.

I'll add that once I get on Desktop, it's hard to type on mobile.

Wahsp wrote:

Awesome guide!

I have just a minor nitpick, the color of the heading “Questions About Spam Comments” is differently colored than it is in the contents

But really other than that it looks great and I think it will help out a lot of Scratchers (well hopefully it will)

Can I comment that?
A Guide to Questions About Comments

First off, before we begin…
Please don't ask questions here. Please make a new topic to get an answer to your question. Asking a question here will only result in it being ignored.
Okay, now that we got that off our shoulders, let us begin.
(Note: These are about comments on the main site, not the forums.)

_________________________________________

Table of Contents

Questions about Spam Comments
Questions about Constructive Comments
Questions about Rude Comments
Questions about Threatening Comments
Questions about Inappropriate Comments
Questions about Comments in General

_________________________________________

Questions about Spam Comments
To learn about spam, go here.

Are comment trains allowed?
No, comment trains are not allowed.
Here is an example of a comment train:

Spammer wrote:

Tag, you're it! Pass this on to 10 nice Scratchers that you know. If you get 10 back, you're a SUPER nice and amazing Scratcher! If you break the chain, nothing will happen. BUT PLEASE PASS THIS ON! Spread the positivity!!!

No matter how nice the comment is, DO NOT PASS IT ON, as your comment could also be reported as spam. Just report the comment and leave it at that. Passing it on will just create more work for the moderators.

Are “10 facts I know about you” comments allowed?
No, that's also spam. Just as above, report it.
Example:

Spammer wrote:

10 facts about you: Fact 1: You are reading this. Fact 2: you cant say the letter ‘m’ without touching your lips. Fact 3: You just tried it. Fact 4 your smiling. Fact 6: You're smiling or laughing again. Fact 7: you didn't notice I missed fact 5. Fact 8: You just checked it. Fact 9 You're smiling again. Fact 10: You like this :)

What are “random numbers to avoid spam”, and are they okay?
“Random numbers to avoid spam” are exactly what they sound like: The author of the comment punches in random numbers so they can repeatedly say the same comment without spamming, since you can't post the same comment more than 3 times in a row.
From what I've heard, they're fine. Most of the time they're just to alert followers that they're moving accounts or to tell animators that a MAP they participated in was completed.
Example:

Comment author wrote:

Hello! I'm, just here to inform you that I'm also telling this message to the rest of my 100 followers. Thanks! Random Numbers to avoid spam: 389845

However, if you're repeatedly posting spam messages, it is not allowed.

Is spamming really against the rules?
The Community Guidelines don't say a whole lot about spamming, but the Terms of Use (which is like the Community Guidelines, but bigger and more legal) have something to say about it:

The Terms of Use wrote:

3. Rules of Usage
3.5 You agree not to use Scratch in any way intended to disrupt the service, gain unauthorized access to the service, or interfere with any other user's ability to use the service. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
4. Repeatedly posting the same material, or “spamming”;

To read the Terms of Use, go here.

Can somebody repeatedly say “Can you give feedback on my latest game”?
Nope. That's also spam.

Spammer wrote:

Can you please give feedback on my latest game? I tried checking for bugs but I just wanna make sure. and if you can, can you ask your friends to give feedback as well?

And look, here we've got a nice transition into the next question…

Is advertising spam?
Depends on where you're doing it. Advertising on profiles, projects, studios, and other people's forum posts is not okay (unless the user/studio allows people to advertise on their profile/studio).
The Show and Tell forums, your own projects and studios, and your forum signature are the only okay places to advertise. When you advertise in those places, it's not spamming.
Even not linking your project, but explicitly mentioning it in your comment is also advertising (which is also why asking for feedback is considered spam).
Examples:

Spammer wrote:

nice project, plz check out my game: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/xxxx/

Spammer wrote:

I love this project!! Oh, I also have an animation called “I love muffins” you can go check it out it's on my profile, it's my featured project

Spammer wrote:

Nice Studio. I have a studio named “Cats, dogs, and bunnies” plz go check it out

Spammer wrote:

PLZ FOLLOW MEEE!!!!!!!

Just remember that while it's nice to have followers, Scratch was made to learn about coding, not earn views.

_________________________________________

Questions about Constructive Comments

How can I be constructive?
I don't remember where (so this quote is written by memory unfortunately), but I know that Scratch Team member Paddle2See has this little commenting technique on how to be constructive:

Paddle2See wrote:

I like to call it a “support sandwich”, first you type something you like about the project, then you type something that could be fixed or added in the project, then you type how that could be fixed, and then once again, you comment what you like about the project.

So a good example of being Constructive is this:

Constructive person wrote:

Nice project! I really like all of the little animals. However, I noticed that the lion's animation is a bit wonky. I checked the code and saw the costume changes were in the wrong order. That can just be easily fixed with that handy drop-down menu. But, I still really like this! The cats are so adorable!

A bad example is this:

Not-so-constructive person wrote:

THIS GAME IS SOO TERRIBLE!!! You know why? THE LION LOOKS SUPER WEIRD!!! I can't believe you shared it like that lol!!!!!! Fix the costume order!!! Geez why wouldn't you fix that??

Is saying how the project is bad being constructive?
Being rude ≠ being constructive. Saying how the project is bad without saying a fix ≠ being constructive.
If you use Paddle2See's “support sandwich” technique, by saying what's good, then what the issues are, then how to fix the issues, then you're being constructive. If you just say “This project is glitchy in levels 2, 3, and 4. I hate it,” then you're not being constructive. If you say what the glitches are, where they occur, and ways you could fix them, then you're being constructive. Just flat-out saying “Levels 5 and 6 are bad. Plz fix” is not constructive in any way whatsoever.

Can I be constructive in a Gordon Ramsay manner?
No. Scratch is for all ages.

Should I take offense to constructive comments?
Absolutely not. Constructive comments are not rude comments; in fact, they are quite the opposite. They are nice comments, because they're helping out with the project.

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be constructive.
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

_________________________________________

Questions about Rude Comments

What should I do if I find a rude comment?
Report it. Just report it.
Example of a rude comment:

Rude person wrote:

LOL YOU'RE SO BAD AT CODING!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS OMG YOU SUCK AT CODING HAHAHAHAH XDDDD

The Community guidelines even say to report rude comments:

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Help keep the site friendly.
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let us know about it.

Are flame wars reportable?
Yep. A “flame war” is when two or more people argue about a certain topic, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Usually projects about religion or politics have a big potential for “flaming”. If you ever see a flame war start, “put out the flames” and report the offending comments. Don't ever “feed the flames”, or get involved.
Example:

Flame Warrers wrote:

Person 1: I don't like that person.
Person 2: Well if your opinion isn't nice, be quiet.
Person 1: But what about freedom of speech?
Person 2: Being rude is abusing freedom of speech!
etc, etc, etc…

Can you get banned for being rude?
Yes you can. It's against the Community Guidelines:

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be respectful.
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

What if reporting the comment simply is not enough?
Then use Contact Us. Someone who just says “this is lame” should just be reported, and contacting the Scratch Team isn't necessary. However, if somebody leaves large, offensive comments on a large amount of projects and profiles, contacting the Scratch Team might be a good idea.

What is gossip, and why is it reportable?
Gossip is when you talk about and exaggerate flaws and imperfections of another person. It's report-able because it's still rude to the person you're gossiping about. Think about it; would you like people to gossip about you?
Here's an example:

Gossipers wrote:

Person1: Omg, I heard that Person 3 bullied Person 4!!!
Person2: Omg, that's so rude of them. I heard that Person 3 called Person 4 a dirty dog! :(!!

Don't ever gossip. Report the gossiping comments and leave it at that.

Can inside-joke insults be reported?
Well, people won't know if they're inside jokes, because they're inside jokes. Maybe you shouldn't post the inside joke in the first place, because nobody but you and your friend would know that it's an inside joke.

Why is being rude such a big deal anyways?
Because this is a kid's site. Scratch's age demographic is 8-16, even though there's some kids using this site who are younger than that. We don't want to set a bad example for the younger audience.

_________________________________________

Questions about Threatening Comments

What should I do if someone threatens me?
Don't believe them and report it. If they continue you to threaten you, use Contact Us.
Example:

Threatener wrote:

If you don't love and favorite all of my projects in the next 24 hours, your account will be deleted, and even if you use Contact Us you can't bring it back!!!!

Note: Most threats are not real. There is no way that a Scratcher (Scratcher-status) can get your account deleted without valid reason–not loving and favoriting their projects is not a valid reason.

What if the comment contains names of people I know?
Use Contact Us. Ask the names of the people you know mentioned in the comment if they know anything about it.

What if the person threatening me if someone I know in real life?
Ask the real-life person about it after reporting the comment if possible.

_________________________________________

Questions about Inappropriate Comments

What should I do if I see an inappropriate comment?
Report it.

Why doesn't the Scratch Team just fix the problem by making a 13+ site?
This is one of the rejected suggestions for Scratch.

The Rejections Sticky wrote:

12. A 13+ version of the website
Scratch is designed for all ages, and dividing the community would not really help anybody.

Can I comment subtly inappropriate things?
If it's inappropriate at all, don't comment it.

My comment (which wasn't inappropriate at all) was deleted. Why?
It was probably inappropriate in some way and you didn't realise it. If you feel as though it shouldn't have been removed, try contacting the Scratch Team.

_________________________________________

Questions about Comments in General

How do I post a comment?
Write your comment, then click the blue button that says “post”.

Why does it say, “Woah, it seems like you're commenting really quickly. Please wait longer between posts.”?
If you're a new Scratcher, you have to wait 30 seconds between posting comments. This may also appear if you're posting many comments in quick succession regardless of your rank.

Can I expand the section I need to type?
Sure! There's two little slanted lines in the bottom-right-hand corner. Pull on them, and you can expand your comment. Please note that this does not expand your character count, however.

Why can't I comment?
Maybe you need to confirm your e-mail. If your e-mail has already been confirmed, you were probably muted for a period of time for posting something offensive or inappropriate.

Can I disable people commenting on my projects/studios/profile?
Yep! There's a little check box that says “Turn off commenting”. If you click on it, you…turn off commenting, and nobody can comment. You cannot disable only certain people from commenting. Keep in mind that when turning off commenting in studios, only the owner of the studio can comment.

Can I send a private message to someone?
No, because of the potential for bullying, gossip, and difficulty moderating.

Can I reply to my own comment?
Yep!

How do I reply to a comment?
Under the comment, you'll see a little button that says “reply”. Click on it, type in your comment, then click “post” as you would with a normal comment. Your comment will automatically have the link to the person you're replying to's profile, and they'll receive a message about it. If you're replying to your own comment, everything mentioned above with still happen except for receiving the message.

_________________________________________

Thank you for reading! If anything I said is inconsistent, incorrect, a typo, or should be removed, please tell me. If you think I should add something, please tell me. Once again, Thanks for reading!

Edits:
Posted: 2/9/2018
First Edit: Fixed the length of the border
Second Edit: Added the suggestions mentioned here and here
Third Edit: Fixed the heading of the “Spam comments” section.
Fourth Edit: Fixed a “small” (hehe puns) problem with the Edit List, added a little tidbit to the “comment trains” section.

What if the person threatening me if someone I know in real life?
Ask the real-life person about it after reporting the comment if possible.

I-Iz-A-Litten wrote:

What if the person threatening me if someone I know in real life?
Ask the real-life person about it after reporting the comment if possible.

found a typo

nice topic though!

wWSunPandaWw wrote:

Can I comment that?
A Guide to Questions About Comments

First off, before we begin…
Please don't ask questions here. Please make a new topic to get an answer to your question. Asking a question here will only result in it being ignored.
Okay, now that we got that off our shoulders, let us begin.
(Note: These are about comments on the main site, not the forums.)

_________________________________________

Table of Contents

Questions about Spam Comments
Questions about Constructive Comments
Questions about Rude Comments
Questions about Threatening Comments
Questions about Inappropriate Comments
Questions about Comments in General

_________________________________________

Questions about Spam Comments
To learn about spam, go here.

Are comment trains allowed?
No, comment trains are not allowed.
Here is an example of a comment train:

Spammer wrote:

Tag, you're it! Pass this on to 10 nice Scratchers that you know. If you get 10 back, you're a SUPER nice and amazing Scratcher! If you break the chain, nothing will happen. BUT PLEASE PASS THIS ON! Spread the positivity!!!

No matter how nice the comment is, DO NOT PASS IT ON, as your comment could also be reported as spam. Just report the comment and leave it at that. Passing it on will just create more work for the moderators.

Are “10 facts I know about you” comments allowed?
No, that's also spam. Just as above, report it.
Example:

Spammer wrote:

10 facts about you: Fact 1: You are reading this. Fact 2: you cant say the letter ‘m’ without touching your lips. Fact 3: You just tried it. Fact 4 your smiling. Fact 6: You're smiling or laughing again. Fact 7: you didn't notice I missed fact 5. Fact 8: You just checked it. Fact 9 You're smiling again. Fact 10: You like this :)

What are “random numbers to avoid spam”, and are they okay?
“Random numbers to avoid spam” are exactly what they sound like: The author of the comment punches in random numbers so they can repeatedly say the same comment without spamming, since you can't post the same comment more than 3 times in a row.
From what I've heard, they're fine. Most of the time they're just to alert followers that they're moving accounts or to tell animators that a MAP they participated in was completed.
Example:

Comment author wrote:

Hello! I'm, just here to inform you that I'm also telling this message to the rest of my 100 followers. Thanks! Random Numbers to avoid spam: 389845

However, if you're repeatedly posting spam messages, it is not allowed.

Is spamming really against the rules?
The Community Guidelines don't say a whole lot about spamming, but the Terms of Use (which is like the Community Guidelines, but bigger and more legal) have something to say about it:

The Terms of Use wrote:

3. Rules of Usage
3.5 You agree not to use Scratch in any way intended to disrupt the service, gain unauthorized access to the service, or interfere with any other user's ability to use the service. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
4. Repeatedly posting the same material, or “spamming”;

To read the Terms of Use, go here.

Can somebody repeatedly say “Can you give feedback on my latest game”?
Nope. That's also spam.

Spammer wrote:

Can you please give feedback on my latest game? I tried checking for bugs but I just wanna make sure. and if you can, can you ask your friends to give feedback as well?

And look, here we've got a nice transition into the next question…

Is advertising spam?
Depends on where you're doing it. Advertising on profiles, projects, studios, and other people's forum posts is not okay (unless the user/studio allows people to advertise on their profile/studio).
The Show and Tell forums, your own projects and studios, and your forum signature are the only okay places to advertise. When you advertise in those places, it's not spamming.
Even not linking your project, but explicitly mentioning it in your comment is also advertising (which is also why asking for feedback is considered spam).
Examples:

Spammer wrote:

nice project, plz check out my game: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/xxxx/

Spammer wrote:

I love this project!! Oh, I also have an animation called “I love muffins” you can go check it out it's on my profile, it's my featured project

Spammer wrote:

Nice Studio. I have a studio named “Cats, dogs, and bunnies” plz go check it out

Spammer wrote:

PLZ FOLLOW MEEE!!!!!!!

Just remember that while it's nice to have followers, Scratch was made to learn about coding, not earn views.

_________________________________________

Questions about Constructive Comments

How can I be constructive?
I don't remember where (so this quote is written by memory unfortunately), but I know that Scratch Team member Paddle2See has this little commenting technique on how to be constructive:

Paddle2See wrote:

I like to call it a “support sandwich”, first you type something you like about the project, then you type something that could be fixed or added in the project, then you type how that could be fixed, and then once again, you comment what you like about the project.

So a good example of being Constructive is this:

Constructive person wrote:

Nice project! I really like all of the little animals. However, I noticed that the lion's animation is a bit wonky. I checked the code and saw the costume changes were in the wrong order. That can just be easily fixed with that handy drop-down menu. But, I still really like this! The cats are so adorable!

A bad example is this:

Not-so-constructive person wrote:

THIS GAME IS SOO TERRIBLE!!! You know why? THE LION LOOKS SUPER WEIRD!!! I can't believe you shared it like that lol!!!!!! Fix the costume order!!! Geez why wouldn't you fix that??

Is saying how the project is bad being constructive?
Being rude ≠ being constructive. Saying how the project is bad without saying a fix ≠ being constructive.
If you use Paddle2See's “support sandwich” technique, by saying what's good, then what the issues are, then how to fix the issues, then you're being constructive. If you just say “This project is glitchy in levels 2, 3, and 4. I hate it,” then you're not being constructive. If you say what the glitches are, where they occur, and ways you could fix them, then you're being constructive. Just flat-out saying “Levels 5 and 6 are bad. Plz fix” is not constructive in any way whatsoever.

Can I be constructive in a Gordon Ramsay manner?
No.
The Way Gordon Ramsay tells people what they did wrong is in a rude manner–Do not ever comment that way.

Should I take offense to constructive comments?
Absolutely not. Constructive comments are not rude comments; in fact, they are quite the opposite. They are nice comments, because they're helping out with the project.

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be constructive.
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

_________________________________________

Questions about Rude Comments

What should I do if I find a rude comment?
Report it. Just report it.
Example of a rude comment:

Rude person wrote:

LOL YOU'RE SO BAD AT CODING!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS OMG YOU SUCK AT CODING HAHAHAHAH XDDDD

The Community guidelines even say to report rude comments:

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Help keep the site friendly.
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let us know about it.

Are flame wars reportable?
Yep. A “flame war” is when two or more people argue about a certain topic, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Usually projects about religion or politics have a big potential for “flaming”. If you ever see a flame war start, “put out the flames” and report the offending comments. Don't ever “feed the flames”, or get involved.
Example:

Flame Warrers wrote:

Person 1: I don't like that person.
Person 2: Well if your opinion isn't nice, be quiet.
Person 1: But what about freedom of speech?
Person 2: Being rude is abusing freedom of speech!
etc, etc, etc…

Can you get banned for being rude?
Yes you can. It's against the Community Guidelines:

The Community Guidelines wrote:

Be respectful.
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

What if reporting the comment simply is not enough?
Then use Contact Us. Someone who just says “this is lame” should just be reported, and contacting the Scratch Team isn't necessary. However, if somebody leaves large, offensive comments on a large amount of projects and profiles, contacting the Scratch Team might be a good idea.

What is gossip, and why is it reportable?
Gossip is when you talk about and exaggerate flaws and imperfections of another person behind their back.. It's report-able because it's still rude to the person you're gossiping about. Think about it; would you like people to gossip about you?
Here's an example:

Gossipers wrote:

Person1: Omg, I heard that Person 3 bullied Person 4!!!
Person2: Omg, that's so rude of them. I heard that Person 3 called Person 4 a dirty dog! :(!!

Don't ever gossip. Report the gossiping comments and leave it at that.

Can inside-joke insults be reported?
Well, people won't know if they're inside jokes, because they're inside jokes. Maybe you shouldn't post the inside joke in the first place, because nobody but you and your friend would know that it's an inside joke.

Why is being rude such a big deal anyways?
Because this is a kid's site. Scratch's age demographic is 8-16, even though there's some kids using this site who are younger than that. We don't want to set a bad example for the younger audience, who won't know better.

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Questions about Threatening Comments

What should I do if someone threatens me?
Don't believe them and report it. If they continue you to threaten you, use Contact Us.
Example:

Threatener wrote:

If you don't love and favorite all of my projects in the next 24 hours, your account will be deleted, and even if you use Contact Us you can't bring it back!!!!

Note: Most threats are not real. There is no way that a Scratcher (Scratcher-status) can get your account deleted without valid reason–not loving and favoriting their projects is not a valid reason.

What if the comment contains names of people I know?
Use Contact Us. Ask the names of the people you know mentioned in the comment if they know anything about it.

What if the person threatening me is someone I know in real life?
Ask the real-life person about it after reporting the comment if possible.

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Questions about Inappropriate Comments

What should I do if I see an inappropriate comment?
Report it.

Why doesn't the Scratch Team just fix the problem by making a 13+ site?
This is one of the rejected suggestions for Scratch.

The Rejections Sticky wrote:

12. A 13+ version of the website
Scratch is designed for all ages, and dividing the community would not really help anybody.

Can I comment subtly inappropriate things?
If it's inappropriate at all, don't comment it.

My comment (which wasn't inappropriate at all) was deleted. Why?
It was probably inappropriate in some way and you didn't realise it. If you feel as though it shouldn't have been removed, try contacting the Scratch Team.

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Questions about Comments in General

How do I post a comment?
Write your comment, then click the blue button that says “post”.

Why does it say, “Woah, it seems like you're commenting really quickly. Please wait longer between posts.”?
If you're a new Scratcher, you have to wait 30 seconds between posting comments. This may also appear if you're posting many comments in quick succession regardless of your rank.

Can I expand the section I need to type?
Sure! There's two little slanted lines in the bottom-right-hand corner. Pull on them, and you can expand your comment. Please note that this does not expand your character count, however.

Why can't I comment?
Maybe you need to confirm your e-mail. If your e-mail has already been confirmed, you were probably muted for a period of time for posting something offensive or inappropriate.

Can I disable people commenting on my projects/studios/profile?
Yep! There's a little check box that says “Turn off commenting”. If you click on it, you…turn off commenting, and nobody can comment. You cannot disable only certain people from commenting. If you want to turn off commenting in a studio, you need to be the owner–Managers, despite all of the other abilities they have, cannot.

Can I send a private message to someone?
No, because of the potential for bullying, gossip, and difficulty moderating.

Can I reply to my own comment?
Yep!

How do I reply to a comment?
Under the comment, you'll see a little button that says “reply”. Click on it, type in your comment, then click “post” as you would with a normal comment. Your comment will automatically have the link to the person you're replying to's profile, and they'll receive a message about it. If you're replying to your own comment, everything mentioned above with still happen except for receiving the message.

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Thank you for reading! If anything I said is inconsistent, incorrect, a typo, or should be removed, please tell me. If you think I should add something, please tell me. Once again, Thanks for reading!

Edits:
Posted: 2/9/2018
First Edit: Fixed the length of the border
Second Edit: Added the suggestions mentioned here and here
Third Edit: Fixed the heading of the “Spam comments” section.
Fourth Edit: Fixed a “small” (hehe puns) problem with the Edit List, added a little tidbit to the “comment trains” section.
Fifth Edit: Made major changes as suggested by this, fixed other grammar errors, added some more information, and added the “Contributors” section.
Sixth Edit: Fixed a typo.
Contributors:
-ShadowOfTheFuture-
WolfCat67
Wahsp
Thanks to these people for helping me improve my post!

Well, all these rules are really… ahem

I mean, what can we comment now? “wow this project is so good”? “constructive comments” (I put " "“ because the definition of being constructive is not that for me. Creating a comment where there is more ”this is good“ than ”this is bad“ is not being constructive. Also, I don't understand why we should express our support even if the projects isn't good.

Also, if flame wars are banned, it means we can't do any debate anymore. So, our possible comments are just overpositive things and ”how are you" conversations?

RemixFr wrote:

wWSunPandaWw wrote:

Snip

Well, all these rules are really… ahem

I mean, what can we comment now? “wow this project is so good”? “constructive comments” (I put " "“ because the definition of being constructive is not that for me. Creating a comment where there is more ”this is good“ than ”this is bad“ is not being constructive. Also, I don't understand why we should express our support even if the projects isn't good.

Also, if flame wars are banned, it means we can't do any debate anymore. So, our possible comments are just overpositive things and ”how are you" conversations?

RemixFr wrote:

wWSunPandaWw wrote:

-snip-

Well, all these rules are really… ahem

I mean, what can we comment now? “wow this project is so good”? “constructive comments” (I put " "“ because the definition of being constructive is not that for me. Creating a comment where there is more ”this is good“ than ”this is bad“ is not being constructive. Also, I don't understand why we should express our support even if the projects isn't good.

Also, if flame wars are banned, it means we can't do any debate anymore. So, our possible comments are just overpositive things and ”how are you" conversations?

RemixFr wrote:

Well, all these rules are really… ahem

I mean, what can we comment now? “wow this project is so good”? “constructive comments” (I put " "“ because the definition of being constructive is not that for me. Creating a comment where there is more ”this is good“ than ”this is bad“ is not being constructive. Also, I don't understand why we should express our support even if the projects isn't good.

Also, if flame wars are banned, it means we can't do any debate anymore. So, our possible comments are just overpositive things and ”how are you" conversations?

muellly wrote:

I see that you give good and bad examples of criticism. However what about people who don't insult or praise the project when giving it? For the lion one what if someone said it as “The lion looks super weird! Fix the costume order!” would that be allowed? Or what about “Fix the lion's costume order”. For the one about levels if someone took away the I hate it part and just said “This project is glitchy in levels 2, 3, and 4.” would that be allowed despite not giving the project praise?

wWSunPandaWw wrote:

Yes, just saying “Fix the Lion's costume order” technically would be constructive, but it's just about the worst way to be constructive.