What are some of the most obscure Scratch features you can think of?

the2000

Sorry if QaS is a bad place to put this thread. Also, sorry for the somewhat oxymoronic and self-defeating concept

I was just thinking about weird old Scratch features and was wondering if anyone else can think of any good ones. This can be something that was included in a previous version of Scratch but has since been removed, or something that remains in Scratch to this day.

Edit: Table of contents. Click the first link to skip past this:

Magic Wand Tool - leahcimto
Draft Projects - the2000
Cat Blocks - cat-tap
Scroll Detection - the2000
Broken Email Notice - leahcimto
Emails From Scratch - leahcimto
Boolean Blocks into Reporter Inputs - pavcato
Backdrop Movement - CatsUnited
Community Blocks - Mr_PenguinAlex
Show New Posts Since Last Visit - Bluebatstar
Show Unanswered Posts - leahcimto
Scratch in Practice + Change Echo effect by… - WindOctahedron
Backpack API Index - leahcimto
Turn On Turbo Mode + Surprise Button - ScratchCatHello
403 Error - PicoMetrics
Downloading subdomains - jeffalo
Other weird domains - jeffalo
Follow Limit - Super_Scratch_Bros20
First 3 pages done, 21 and counting to go!

Last edited by the2000 (March 14, 2021 00:47:14)

leahcimto

I thought the magic wand tool in the 2.0 paint editor was always a bit odd.

the2000

leahcimto wrote:
I thought the magic wand tool in the 2.0 paint editor was always a bit odd.

Oh yeah, totally! Wasn't that like, the very last thing added to Scratch 2.0? I remember thinking when it was added, “I thought that Scratch 2.0 was finished and they had moved on to 3.0 at this point.” And they didn't even bring it back for 3.0 either.

leahcimto

the2000 wrote:
leahcimto wrote:
I thought the magic wand tool in the 2.0 paint editor was always a bit odd.
Oh yeah, totally! Wasn't that like, the very last thing added to Scratch 2.0? I remember thinking when it was added, “I thought that Scratch 2.0 was finished and they had moved on to 3.0 at this point.” And they didn't even bring it back for 3.0 either.

Yeah

I had no clue how to use it… now i just use remove.bg

the2000

leahcimto wrote:
I had no clue how to use it… now i just use remove.bg

I never had anything to use it on practically. Now that I think of it, “make a game out of real pictures” is a really cool pitch. Maybe they should bring it back?

Anyway, here's one that I thought of: The “draft” tick box. I've never heard anyone mention it after 2.0 (certainly not before

), and even during 2.0 I don't think I ever saw anyone else using it, even when they were releasing demos of unfinished projects. I was never aware of the weird tag shenanigans it could cause: I only ever recall using it on my very first project, because I was afraid people would make fun of me

Last edited by the2000 (Jan. 22, 2021 22:37:32)

cat_tap

What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them. The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0, I was completely offline for the little bit of time I was in 2.0. Oh I have an entire story on it! But that's for another topic.
Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.

leahcimto

the2000 wrote:
leahcimto wrote:
I had no clue how to use it… now i just use remove.bg
I never had anything to use it on practically. Now that I think of it, “make a game out of real pictures” is a really cool pitch. Maybe they should bring it back?

Anyway, here's one that I thought of: The “draft” tick box. I've never heard anyone mention it after 2.0 (certainly not before ), and even during 2.0 I don't think I ever saw anyone else using it, even when they were releasing demos of unfinished projects. I was never aware of the weird tag shenanigans it could cause: I only ever recall using it on my very first project, because I was afraid people would make fun of me

Oh yes! I remember that. I checked all my projects as draft because i had no clue what it meant

the2000

cat_tap wrote:
What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them.

Yeah, I don't know if that's obscure. It's probably the most famous April Fools joke of them all, save for maybe the semicolon.

The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0

Don't worry, I think everyone feels that way. As a pretty active early 2.0 user I always wish I took the opportunity (it's a long story) to join during Scratch 1.4 instead

Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.

I agree, those are pretty cool. I miss the loading bar, but at least it has funny messages.

cat_tap

the2000 wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them.
Yeah, I don't know if that's obscure. It's probably the most famous April Fools joke of them all, save for maybe the semicolon.
The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0
Don't worry, I think everyone feels that way. As a pretty active early 2.0 user I always wish I took the opportunity (it's a long story) to join during Scratch 1.4 instead
Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.
I agree, those are pretty cool. I miss the loading bar, but at least it has funny messages.

There was a loading bar?! As being hidden from the online world of scratch in 2.0, I never looked at any other projects, so I never EVER got to see the old loading screen :'(.

Ihatr

cat_tap wrote:
the2000 wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them.
Yeah, I don't know if that's obscure. It's probably the most famous April Fools joke of them all, save for maybe the semicolon.
The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0
Don't worry, I think everyone feels that way. As a pretty active early 2.0 user I always wish I took the opportunity (it's a long story) to join during Scratch 1.4 instead
Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.
I agree, those are pretty cool. I miss the loading bar, but at least it has funny messages.
There was a loading bar?! As being hidden from the online world of scratch in 2.0, I never looked at any other projects, so I never EVER got to see the old loading screen :'(.

Being a Scratch veteran has its perks

cat_tap

Ihatr wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
the2000 wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them.
Yeah, I don't know if that's obscure. It's probably the most famous April Fools joke of them all, save for maybe the semicolon.
The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0
Don't worry, I think everyone feels that way. As a pretty active early 2.0 user I always wish I took the opportunity (it's a long story) to join during Scratch 1.4 instead
Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.
I agree, those are pretty cool. I miss the loading bar, but at least it has funny messages.
There was a loading bar?! As being hidden from the online world of scratch in 2.0, I never looked at any other projects, so I never EVER got to see the old loading screen :'(.
Being a Scratch veteran has its perks

What's a Scratch veteran?

Ihatr

cat_tap wrote:
Ihatr wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
the2000 wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
What about the cat blocks? You've probably heard of them.
Yeah, I don't know if that's obscure. It's probably the most famous April Fools joke of them all, save for maybe the semicolon.
The sad thing is I feel like I missed alot in 2.0
Don't worry, I think everyone feels that way. As a pretty active early 2.0 user I always wish I took the opportunity (it's a long story) to join during Scratch 1.4 instead
Another thing, they still have now, might be the “herding cats” and “counting nanos” and such they have sometimes appear in the loading screen. That's pretty neat when you see it for the first time.
I agree, those are pretty cool. I miss the loading bar, but at least it has funny messages.
There was a loading bar?! As being hidden from the online world of scratch in 2.0, I never looked at any other projects, so I never EVER got to see the old loading screen :'(.
Being a Scratch veteran has its perks
What's a Scratch veteran?

Someone who has been on Scratch for longer than most active users nowadays. I first used Scratch in 2015, my first account was created in 2018.

the2000

cat_tap wrote:
Ihatr wrote:
Being a Scratch veteran has its perks
What's a Scratch veteran?

It's not a real thing, it's just an unofficial term to refer to an old user.

Edit: Dang it, beaten to it

Last edited by the2000 (Jan. 22, 2021 23:12:13)

cat_tap

the2000 wrote:
Dang it, beaten to it

XD
And i see now, so back to the subject…

the2000

cat_tap wrote:
the2000 wrote:
Dang it, beaten to it
XD
And i see now, so back to the subject…

Okay, here's something else I noticed:

I discovered this on a random project made by somebody else during 2.0: For some reason the “when up key pressed” and “when down key pressed” hat blocks also respond to scrollbar input. It's been this way since at least 2.0 and once again I've never heard anyone else talk about it. Maybe it was mentioned in a tutorial somewhere, I don't know. Clearly someone had to remember it for it to be ported to 3.0, at least. Maybe this is really common knowledge to everyone else, but it totally blew my mind. Not even the Scratch Wiki mentions this

cat_tap

the2000 wrote:
cat_tap wrote:
the2000 wrote:
Dang it, beaten to it
XD
And i see now, so back to the subject…
Okay, here's something else I noticed:

I discovered this on a random project made by somebody else during 2.0: For some reason the “when up key pressed” and “when down key pressed” hat blocks also respond to scrollbar input. It's been this way since at least 2.0 and once again I've never heard anyone else talk about it. Maybe it was mentioned in a tutorial somewhere, I don't know. Clearly someone had to remember it for it to be ported to 3.0, at least. Maybe this is really common knowledge to everyone else, but it totally blew my mind. Not even the Scratch Wiki mentions this

Oh yes, that too. I think it's used for making a scrollbar, there's probably a famous scratcher out there with a tutorial on it, so that could be why everyone knows and they haven't removed it.

leahcimto

Oh yes, the loading bar.

leahcimto

and i miss the semicolon and the notifications when the email system broke

the2000

leahcimto wrote:
the notifications when the email system broke

We are experiencing a disruption with email delivery. If you are not receiving emails from us, please try after 8am EST.

leahcimto

Oh, and remember when you could subscribe to emails from Scratch?

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