I changed the cloud variable in Griffpatch's luckiest scratcher project to 10000, now I'm getting harassed. [SOLVED]

Spentine

Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

SOLVED: The majority decided that it was displeasing or rude, but not against Scratch's Terms of Use.

Last edited by Spentine (Aug. 14, 2022 23:42:50)

banana439monkey

the more people ask this question the more tempted i am to go and find out
first of all, none of them should have harassed you for manipulating cloud variables outside of scratch's sandboxed environment
i'm going to do some very important digging so hang fire and i'll come back with my findings

Banana

SpyLion

If you weren't hacking, tell them. If you have already, maybe delete your remix of the project. If you have already, maybe use Contact Us (find it at the bottom of this page) to tell the Scratch Team about it.

Last edited by SpyLion (Aug. 14, 2022 20:55:41)

Spentine

SpyLion wrote:
If you weren't hacking, tell them. If you have already, maybe delete your remix of the project. If you have already, maybe use Contact Us (find it at the bottom of this page) to tell the Scratch Team about it.

No, like using a python script to get 10000 points on the high score.

banana439monkey

3.5 discloses:

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.

manipulating cloud variables is not disrupting the service, access to those variables is authorised and it's not interfering with anyone's ability to use it, so we continue searching

no other clauses could be found relating to manipulation of cloud data

Banana

Collin_The_Newmaker

Wait… It's possible to modify a variable how the author unintended? i thought when you look inside, a copy of the project is created…

Banana

colinmacc

Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.

banana439monkey

Collin_The_Newmaker wrote:
Wait… It's possible to modify a variable how the author unintended? i thought when you look inside, a copy of the project is created…

Banana

it is, with some knowledge
cloud data is just an api so you can manipulate it how you like with any external code
now i'm tempted to make a fully working text-based browser that gets and displays html/json/etc etc etc that you request
say you went to google and it sends back the html for that page
it might be slow but it is possible!

Banana

banana439monkey

colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.

can it be reportable? any citation? there seems to be nothing official saying you can't do it
at most a project that employs cloud variables and gets manipulated by the author at least might be marked as nfe

Banana

Za-Chary

I guess I don't know if it's objectively allowed or not, but I really don't see the point in changing cloud variables on another user's project. The main problem is precisely the harassment you would get from it — and aside from that, I don't know what benefit you get from this. Cloud variables are not intended to be modified in this way, so it's understandable that changing them in a manner which is not what the project creator intended could cause some Scratchers to be upset.

You should report any comments which take it too far — name-calling, claiming that they're reporting you, etc. — but I would also suggest that you stop modifying cloud variables on other Scratchers' projects, unless of course you are doing it honestly by playing the project as the creator intended.

colinmacc wrote:
It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban.

Assuming this is true, then this is the answer. (I wouldn't be surprised if the Scratch Team really is taking action against this. I've never seen action taken myself — but that's probably just because I haven't been looking too closely. I think issues with cloud variables have gotten more significant after I left the Scratch Team.)

Spentine

colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.

I appreciate your feedback, but can you quote your source? I was asking "Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively?", keyword: objectively.

Scratch ToS you can check out the link to Scratch's Terms of Use to see if I'm breaking any of the clauses. 3.5 is out because I'm not disrupting the service, interfering with anyone's use, or gaining unauthorized access, otherwise, Scratch would have disabled the API.

colinmacc

banana439monkey wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
can it be reportable? any citation? there seems to be nothing official saying you can't do it
at most a project that employs cloud variables and gets manipulated by the author at least might be marked as nfe

Banana

I've reported it a few times with evidence and each time got a reply saying thanks for the report, the scratch team will take appropriate action. It's not something they condone.

Collin_The_Newmaker

banana439monkey wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
can it be reportable? any citation? there seems to be nothing official saying you can't do it
at most a project that employs cloud variables and gets manipulated by the author at least might be marked as nfe

Banana

LOL, it's just rude to go and break a multiplayer game's data just because it's not restricted on Scratch. It's like breaking someone's sandcastle just because there's no sandcastle laws! Brr, rude

banana439monkey

colinmacc wrote:
banana439monkey wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
can it be reportable? any citation? there seems to be nothing official saying you can't do it
at most a project that employs cloud variables and gets manipulated by the author at least might be marked as nfe

Banana

I've reported it a few times with evidence and each time got a reply saying thanks for the report, the scratch team will take appropriate action. It's not something they condone.

now that is not a report i have ever seen in my eight years on this site
the closest i have had and seen is “thanks for the report! we checked it out and found nothing wrong”
any action they will take tends to be silent and not declared to the user

Banana

Spentine

Za-Chary wrote:
I guess I don't know if it's objectively allowed or not, but I really don't see the point in changing cloud variables on another user's project. The main problem is precisely the harassment you would get from it — and aside from that, I don't know what benefit you get from this. Cloud variables are not intended to be modified in this way, so it's understandable that changing them in a manner which is not what the project creator intended could cause some Scratchers to be upset.

-snip-

Thanks for letting me know! I reverted the cloud variable back to 0 yesterday, but people kept harassing me. I stopped modifying variables on other Scratcher's projects because I got tired of it and I have already learned what I came to learn. When I figured out how to use the Python API, I was determined to put it in action, and I have already done that, so I have no need to modify any cloud variables anymore.

Za-Chary wrote:
You should report any comments which take it too far — name-calling, claiming that they're reporting you, etc.

Don't worry, I did that too, but only to people who took it too far, like spamming and intimidation. I didn't report any comments that said they were going to report me, as I thought that it would be too far.

Thanks for the feedback!

banana439monkey

Collin_The_Newmaker wrote:
banana439monkey wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
can it be reportable? any citation? there seems to be nothing official saying you can't do it
at most a project that employs cloud variables and gets manipulated by the author at least might be marked as nfe

Banana
LOL, it's just rude to go and break a multiplayer game's data just because it's not restricted on Scratch. It's like breaking someone's sandcastle just because there's no sandcastle laws! Brr, rude

“rude”, sure
“against community guidelines/tou”, not entirely sure

Banana

colinmacc

Spentine wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
I appreciate your feedback, but can you quote your source? I was asking "Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively?", keyword: objectively.

Scratch ToS you can check out the link to Scratch's Terms of Use to see if I'm breaking any of the clauses. 3.5 is out because I'm not disrupting the service, interfering with anyone's use, or gaining unauthorized access, otherwise, Scratch would have disabled the API.

banana439monkey

colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
colinmacc wrote:
Spentine wrote:
Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively? Talking about a rule from the ToS, does it exist? After I modified the variable people kept coming to my profile to report me and to comment “stop hacking”, and then one person spammed each of my projects with a message telling me to stop in 24 hours… I reported each of those messages from that single user for breaking rules 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5.4.

Anyways, is it objectively ok to modify cloud variables to whatever? And do the people who come to my profile to report me have a valid claim?

I got tired of people bothering me, so I set it back to 0, but people still kept poking at me telling me to stop hacking.

It is absolutely not fine. Cheating by using external tools to modify cloud variables on other peoples projects is reportable to the scratch team and can result in a ban. Hopefully this can be stamped out because it's spoiling a lot of projects and is really annoying.
I appreciate your feedback, but can you quote your source? I was asking "Is it fine to modify cloud variables on another project objectively?", keyword: objectively.

Scratch ToS you can check out the link to Scratch's Terms of Use to see if I'm breaking any of the clauses. 3.5 is out because I'm not disrupting the service, interfering with anyone's use, or gaining unauthorized access, otherwise, Scratch would have disabled the API.

yes, persistently

Banana

Spentine

colinmacc wrote:

Do you know what message the user recieved? I don't know what clause the ST based the report off of.

Za-Chary

Spentine wrote:
Thanks for letting me know! I reverted the cloud variable back to 0 yesterday, but people kept harassing me. I stopped modifying variables on other Scratcher's projects because I got tired of it and I have already learned what I came to learn. When I figured out how to use the Python API, I was determined to put it in action, and I have already done that, so I have no need to modify any cloud variables anymore.

In the future I would recommend modifying cloud variables on your own projects if you want to test them out — don't modify cloud variables on other users' projects. (Unless modifying them on your own projects is still not allowed — I don't know the specifics of that.)

It is still understandable that some Scratchers are upset with you changing the cloud variable back to 0 — the (honest) high score prior to you doing that probably was not 0 (nor 10000), so if Scratchers were interested in seeing the “true” high score, then they can no longer do that.

Last edited by Za-Chary (Aug. 14, 2022 21:36:36)

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