Geolocation detection

PICOvsNANO

pavcato wrote:
JPOWERPUFFGIRLS wrote:
Wouldn't this project be able to get a approximate idea of where you are, therefore putting the user at risk
Yes, somebody could create a script like this:
when green flag clicked
insert (join (join (longitude ) (latitude)) (username)) at (1 v) of [list v]
And then create a list of usernames and locations, essentially doxing people.

Actually, that wouldn't work. Lists aren't supported with cloud, so it wouldn't add that.

pavcato

PICOvsNANO wrote:
pavcato wrote:
JPOWERPUFFGIRLS wrote:
Wouldn't this project be able to get a approximate idea of where you are, therefore putting the user at risk
Yes, somebody could create a script like this:
when green flag clicked
insert (join (join (longitude ) (latitude)) (username)) at (1 v) of [list v]
And then create a list of usernames and locations, essentially doxing people.
Actually, that wouldn't work. Lists aren't supported with cloud, so it wouldn't add that.

But there are many workarounds to save it.

qwertykid44

Why not just do it to the degree? That way, it'll still remain relatively anonymous as to where you are.

In addition, I'd recommend appending N/S, E/W so that location can't be transmitted easily over the cloud.

46009361

qwertykid44 wrote:
Why not just do it to the degree? That way, it'll still remain relatively anonymous as to where you are.

Anyone can just calculate the degree (using round could also be preferred if you want 180/90 or -180/90 than 179/89 or -179/-89):

if <(latitude :: sensing) > [0]> then
set [latitude v] to ([floor v] of (latitude :: sensing))
end
if <(latitude :: sensing) < [0]> then
set [latitude v] to ([floor v] of (latitude :: sensing))

qwertykid44 wrote:
In addition, I'd recommend appending N/S, E/W so that location can't be transmitted easily over the cloud.

But it could still be transmitted over the cloud as a user starts the project; the problem is just making it anonymous (see above). Also, N/E/S/W added to the end of a number may be confusing for new users (even though newer Scratchers can't use cloud variables yet). For example, they could think a space and then “North” (the full name), a period after the letter, or a degree symbol (which is hard to type on computers) before the letter. This could also cause problems with users in languages other than English (the “current (day of week)” block is a number). Scratch is aimed at children and isn't like JavaScript, where specific formats (e.g. ISO 8601 standard for dates [i.e. 2020-09-07]) would be otherwise required, meaning extra code is required to manually convert. Therefore, the number is universally easy to be understood. (Arabic's number system is different than the Hindu–Arabic numerals here from 0–9, but at least Scratch's client-side code understands the Hindu–Arabic numerals for calculating mathematical functions.)

Last edited by 46009361 (Sept. 8, 2020 01:05:55)

AutoAatos

Actually I am looking for this functionality to do a geocaching quest.

For this i would need the location with a high accuracy and precission.

Like the camera usually browsers ask allowance to retrieve the location.

Last edited by AutoAatos (Sept. 25, 2020 16:54:55)

mtech22

No support. Even if it can't be transmitted over cloud, there are probably workarounds that people would find. This is a kids coding language, and this might be a bit to complicated, and dangerous for a child.

46009361

Bump

the2000

mtech22 wrote:
No support. Even if it can't be transmitted over cloud, there are probably workarounds that people would find.

I know this is a half-year old post, but… workarounds like? How exactly do you plan on using cloud data without cloud data?

fdreerf

the2000 wrote:
mtech22 wrote:
No support. Even if it can't be transmitted over cloud, there are probably workarounds that people would find.
I know this is a half-year old post, but… workarounds like? How exactly do you plan on using cloud data without cloud data?

The only prevention I saw on this topic was not letting these blocks be placed in a cloud variable, but you can easily get around that with a game of hot potato with strings and variables until Scratch can no longer trace it back to the long/lat blocks, which doesn't seem too hard.

I think that the blocks should report no decimal places and round to the nearest integer. For most purposes 43 N, 78 W is enough to do something interesting while being vague enough to pinpoint someone's exact location. However, some people don't like revealing their country for some reason, so even that isn't enough for a lot of people. Sure, there's a warning, but I bet most of you disregard the “username block” warning, so why wouldn't most ignore the “long/lat warning”?

the2000

fdreerf wrote:
the2000 wrote:
I know this is a half-year old post, but… workarounds like? How exactly do you plan on using cloud data without cloud data?
The only prevention I saw on this topic was not letting these blocks be placed in a cloud variable, but you can easily get around that with a game of hot potato with strings and variables until Scratch can no longer trace it back to the long/lat blocks, which doesn't seem too hard.

They did say “if it can't be transmitted over cloud”, so I'm assuming that they were assuming that such a thing would still not be possible.

fdreerf

the2000 wrote:
fdreerf wrote:
the2000 wrote:
I know this is a half-year old post, but… workarounds like? How exactly do you plan on using cloud data without cloud data?
The only prevention I saw on this topic was not letting these blocks be placed in a cloud variable, but you can easily get around that with a game of hot potato with strings and variables until Scratch can no longer trace it back to the long/lat blocks, which doesn't seem too hard.
They did say “if it can't be transmitted over cloud”, so I'm assuming that they were assuming that such a thing would still not be possible.

One of the pros in the OP is literally transmitting this through cloud data.

the2000

fdreerf wrote:
the2000 wrote:
They did say “if it can't be transmitted over cloud”, so I'm assuming that they were assuming that such a thing would still not be possible.
One of the pros in the OP is literally transmitting this through cloud data.

…Oh. That's probably not a very good idea. I was referring to the person who I quoted initially though.

mybearworld

No support, I'd not like my location leaked.

pokeshah

([country v] of user::pen)
([state v] of user::pen)

Last edited by pokeshah (March 3, 2021 06:19:52)

-EmeraldThunder-

No support. I do not wish to be tracked by yet another company/

-EmeraldThunder-

pokeshah wrote:

([country v] of user::pen)
([state v] of user::pen)

Not everyone lives in a state.

Socialix

No support, the simple purpose of this is to stalk their house.

when gf clicked
hide variable [go: latitude v]
hide variable [go: longitude v]
set [Your Location v] to (join (latitude ::pen) (join [, ] (longitude ::pen)))
if <not <(username) = [Socialix]>> then
encode (latitude ::pen) ::pen // originally gonna be custom, but nope
set [☁ latitude v] to (encoded)
encode (longitude ::pen) ::pen
set [☁ longitude v] to (encoded)
end
if <(username) = [Socialix]> then
decode (☁ latitude) ::pen
set [go: latitude v] to (decoded)
decode (☁ longitude) ::pen
set [go: longitude v] to (decoded)
show variable [go: latitude v]
show variable [go: longitude v]
end

46009361

fdreerf wrote:
I think that the blocks should report no decimal places and round to the nearest integer. For most purposes 43 N, 78 W is enough to do something interesting while being vague enough to pinpoint someone's exact location.

Maybe something like:

([latitude v] to (1) decimal places :: sensing)

If the latitude block existed, it could be worked around like:

if <geolocation on? :: sensing> then 
set [whole-numbered latitude v] to (round (latitude :: sensing))
else
set [whole-numbered latitude v] to []
end

Chikorita_Lover

This would most likely not be accepted. The blocks could be used to track others' real-life locations, and could prevent users in certain areas around the world from viewing your project.

46009361

Chikorita_Lover wrote:
and could prevent users in certain areas around the world from viewing your project.

Something similar can already be done by whitelisting usernames that can view the project, but these projects should be reported anyway. Kind of like how an operating system detector could be used maliciously to only allow users in a certain OS to view the project. However, users are more likely to follow the rules considering that anyone can publicly see them.

Last edited by 46009361 (March 3, 2021 23:41:58)

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