People may not ask questions here; they should create a new topic. However, it is completely ok to ask questions about this sticky.

This is not a place to just chat. However, feedback on how to improve the sticky is encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Also, everyone should abide by the Community Guidelines by not posting spam. However, if there are spam or irrelevant posts on this topic, users should report them instead of responding so the situation does not worsen.

====================

About

Welcome to the Questions About Scratch Directory! This is for questions and answers so that people can save themselves the trouble of making a post about their question when they could find their answer here instead. This will also be regularly updated, so any suggestions are accepted.

I will accept most additions to the topic unless the answer is ambiguous or a moderator specifically says that it should not be added.

If you can't find a question here, this search engine by @Jeffalo may help!

To search for topics and questions in these lists, press ctrl + F or cmd + F (depending on your OS).

====================

Table of Contents

About
Section 1: Temporary Questions
Section 2: The Forums
Section 3: The Project Editor
Section 4: Rules and Moderation
Section 5: Scratch History and Lore
Section 6: Scratch Design and Statistics
Section 7: The Scratch Wiki
Section 8: Account Information
Section 9: Using Studios
Section 10: Terminology and Slang
Credits

====================

Previous Lists

FAQ Topic #1 by @asqwde
FAQ Topic #2 by @ThatOneWeirdDude

Dictionary Topic #1 by @yzyzyz
Dictionary Topic #2 by @MaximunPokeMaster
Dictionary Topic #3 by @PrincessFlowerTV

Questions about Scratch Directory #1 by @xXRedTheCoderXx
Questions about Scratch Directory #2 by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #2.5 by @TheForumer
Questions about Scratch Directory #3 by @Sliverus
Questions about Scratch Directory #3.5 by @Super_Scratch_Bros20
Questions about Scratch Directory #4 by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #5 by @Sliverus
Questions about Scratch Directory #6 by @Zydrolic
Questions about Scratch Directory #7 by @MythosLore

Section 1: Temporary Questions
This section is for currently relevant questions but may become significantly less relevant. As a result, these questions are temporary and may come and go.

Q: Is Hazbin Hotel allowed to be mentioned?
A: No. Due to extremely inappropriate themes, references to Hazbin Hotel will be removed.
Keywords: franchise, hazbin hotel

Q: Why are Japanese projects so popular?
It's important to keep in mind that this site is for kids. Many kids are interested in Japanese culture (e.g. anime, video games, etc.), so these projects tend to be very popular. In reality, few Scratchers are from Japan.

The Explore page also used to be sorted by language, however, the feature that did this has been broken or removed for unknown reasons.
Keywords: explore, trending, japanese

Q: How do I download the 2.0 offline editor?
To download the 2.0 editor, you have to go to this page (you might have to click “Advanced” to do so, because sometimes your browser may automatically block it). It should be a blank page that says nothing but “Scratch On!”. Then, close out of that tab and go to this page.

Alternatively, you can use this old abandoned page that still shows the links to download Scratch 2.0 or the Wayback machine to download it.
Keywords: scratch 2.0, download, offline editor, 2.0 editor

Q: What happened the Scratch domains that used to redirect to Scratch?
A: The Scratch Team owns a bunch of domains related to Scratch, such as https://scratch.pizza and https://scratch.computer. They used to redirect to Scratch, however, most of them now redirect to an error page that states that you need a VPN to access the page, while https://scratch.love brings up a recently created website made by the Scratch Team.

It has been confirmed that these changes are related to an upcoming Scratch update, however, it is currently unclear what those changes will be.
Keywords: https://scratch.org, https://scratch.pizza, https://scratch.love, domains, scratch foundation, update

Section 2: The Forums
The following are questions and answers related to the Scratch forums — where this topic is now!

Q: Can a forum topic be reopened?
A: If the topic owner accidentally closed a topic, report the first post of the topic, asking for it to be reopened and explaining why. Reporting the first post does not mean that the user is in trouble. If a Scratch Team member closed it, it's probably for a good reason. Moreover, the Scratch Team members will sometimes leave a note that says, “If you would like this reopened, report this post.”
Keywords: closed, reopened

Q: What do the dots next to forum pages mean?
A: It means that a user (or users) have posted there, and their messages have not been read. It's very useful for waiting for a reply.
Keywords: dots, messages, posts, reply

Q: How do users edit their posts?
A: New Scratchers can only edit the post until they leave the page. This can be done by clicking the edit button next to the report and quote buttons. To prevent spam, the option is not permanent. For Scratchers, the button is there permanently for all their posts on any topic (as long as the topic isn't closed).
Keywords: edit posts

Q: How are topics closed?
A: Wait 24 hours and then click the gray button that says “Close Topic” at the bottom. This only works for the topic owner (or the Scratch Team, of course). To close it sooner, report the first post of the topic asking for it to be closed.
Keywords: closed

Q: How are topics made?
A: To create a topic, go to the forum that is relevant to the topic idea, then at the top-right corner, there should be a purple button saying “New Topic”. Click the button to make a topic.

You should also make sure it follows the rules of that forum. You don't necessarily need to read all of them at once, but the “sticky” posts at the top of all forums are very useful.
Keywords: new topic, make a topic, create

Q: Can I use AI to generate forum posts?
A: Using AI to express your thoughts is allowed, but creating forum posts solely for the purpose of using AI is considered spam and not allowed.
Keywords: ai, artificial intelligence, chatgpt

Q: Why were April Fools' Day forum topics prohibited?
A: While a few April Fools' Day topics were created before COVID, they started to occur more often when users were quarantined during the pandemic with nothing else better to do. In 2024, April Fools' Day topics were banned due to moderation concerns and the excessive forum posting lagging the rest of the website.
Keywords: april fools' day, afd, spam

Q: Is it possible to report a signature?
A: Users can report a post but clarify while reporting that they’re reporting that the signature is inappropriate. That is perfectly fine and is recommended when someone has a signature that is not suitable for Scratch.

Some users have suggested a feature to report signatures, but this is a rejected suggestion:

Za-Chary wrote:

9.8 Report button for signatures
To report a user's forum signature, you can just use the Report button on one of their posts, and for the reason for reporting, just explain that there is a problem with their signature. The Scratch Team has expressed that there is no need for a separate Report button for signatures since this is an effective workaround.

Keywords: report, signature

Q: How do I use colored text in the forums?
A: By typing [color={insert color name here}] [/color] and placing your text between the color tags, the text will change to that color.

Here's an example:

[color=green]Green is a cool color![/color]
Green is a cool color!

Hex codes are also supported. For example:

[color=#008000]Green is still cool![/color]
Green is still cool!

While using this feature, please keep in mind that too much colored text is distracting, or may even hurt the reader's eyes.
Keywords: colored text, bbcode

Q: What is the dustbin?
A: When topics are deleted, they are sent to topic 412, aka the dustbin. These posts are inappropriate for Scratch and are only accessible to moderators. There is also a separate spam dustbin for posts, where the Scratch Team can identify spamming patterns. Those are the only two dustbins that the Scratch Team monitors.
Keywords: dustbinned, deleted

Q: What is an ITopic?
A: An ITopic is when a guide is introduced to Scratch and is verified by the Scratch Team to be a reliable guide, so they add “ITopic” to the beginning of the title. It's basically like a sticky but is not at the top of all the topics. Usually, this happens when there are too many stickies. The more stickies that exist, the less likely that they are to be read.
Keywords: guide, itopic

Q: How can someone edit a signature?
A: Go to:
Or click the link at the bottom of the discussion home page.
Keywords: signature

Q: Has a collab ever worked?
A: Although uncommon, yes. The fewer people involved in the collaboration, the more likely it is to succeed. Relying on others is a good idea (and is the only way to truly collaborate), but some may not be able to fulfill their duties and will have to be replaced.

Click here for a detailed analysis of why most collabs die, and how to keep yours alive.
Keywords: collaborations

Q: What is bumping a topic?
A: Bumping a topic is when a user posts on their topic normally because of their question not being met or just because the topic is inactive.

The rule to bumping, however, is that a user may bump any topic they want, even if it's not theirs, though it must not be resolved, old, or replaced. The topic may also only be bumped once every 24 hours or when it reaches page 2, where most topics are overlooked.
Keywords: bump, bring up my post

Q: What do the forums look like for a Scratch Team member?
A: It's not clear. Scratch Team members are forbidden from disclosing a lot of this information. But they can see IP addresses, account creation dates, exact amounts of posts, access deleted topics and posts, delete posts and signatures, close any topics, sticky them, etc.
Keywords: moderator ui

Q: What is block spamming?
A: Blockspamming is when users use the [scratchblocks] plugin to create long, unneeded, and completely off-topic scripts. However, using the block plugin to display an on-topic message is NOT spam, according to this post by @Za-Chary.
Keywords: blockspam

Q: Where do suggestions for Scratch go?
A: You can make a new topic for them in Suggestions. It's highly recommended you read most of the stickies and check if there is already a topic for it with this guide.

If a topic exists for it, please discuss it there so it won't be chaotic to follow – if there isn't a topic for it, you are free to make one.
Keywords: suggestions

Q: Why was the forum/user search bar removed?
A: It was just already a broken feature, and it currently is not on the Scratch Team's priority list to fix it.
Keywords: search

Q: What's a sticky?
A: A sticky is a topic containing useful information that users who are new to that forum — may find helpful, such as this one. These topics are pinned to the top of the first page, and it is the first thing Scratchers will see.
Keywords: sticky, stickied, pinned

Q: Why doesn't the Scratch Team implement highly supported suggestions?
A: The Scratch Team is a small group of people, and there's a lot of work that goes into planning, designing, and developing new features in Scratch. Sometimes they simply don't have the resources to do so (time, money, developers, etc.), or they find that the cons outweigh the benefits of a suggestion. A lot of support doesn't necessarily mean a suggestion will be implemented.

And, many suggestions have already been implemented by the Scratch Team, such as Scratch on mobile devices, so they do listen to the community. But keep in mind the suggestion has to be possible, and beneficial for Scratch, and even then, it takes a lot of time for something to be added. The support amount does not contribute to how likely it is to be implemented.

However, suggestions, do indeed get implemented on the forums. Here is a short list of some (but not all) suggestions that have been suggested on the forums that were implemented:

• Addition of captions on videos made by the Scratch Team's YouTube channel
  
• Addition of “contains” block
  
• Removal of the eggplant emoji
  
• Addition of “if any key pressed” blocks
  

Keywords: implemented, supported

Q: Why is necroposting not allowed?
A: A necropost is a post that bumps an old topic back up to the top. It effectively makes more recent topics drown and puts a discussion that is majorly abandoned back at the top of the forum. That is precisely why, unless contributing to the discussion, do not bump up old topics.
Keywords: necropost

Q: How do users check for duplicates?
A: Use the Guide to Finding Duplicates before posting in Suggestions, Things I’m Making and Creating, or Things I’m Reading and Playing. That way, if the discussion has been made before, the conversation can continue there, rather than it being scattered across the forums.
Keywords: duplicates

Section 3: The Project Editor
Here are some frequently asked questions about the project editor.

Q: Why isn't my project saving?
A: Probably because there is a large file in the project (music files, images, etc..) Try cutting the file into smaller pieces. If it's not that, report it in the Bugs and Glitches forum.
Keywords: saving, this project can not save

Q: How do you delete a broadcast?
A: It will delete itself if it is not in use. Simply delete all the blocks that are using the broadcast.
Keywords: delete, broadcast, message

Q: How big can projects get?
A: In Scratch 3.0, there is no limit to a whole project. The only limits are 10 megabytes per asset, and 5 megabytes for project.json, which contains code and basic pre-defined information, like variables.
Keywords: bytes, assets, size limit

Q: How can project thumbnails be changed?
A: Whatever image the project is on whenever it is saved, that image becomes the project thumbnail. To save a particular thumbnail, save the project when the thumbnail is being shown on the project.
Keywords: thumbnail

Q: How can people use an animated thumbnail?
A: This can be done via GitHub. See this project by @World_Languages for more information.
Keywords: animated thumbnail

Q: What does “clean up” do?
A: It puts all of the code in a straight line, allowing users to easily read the code.
Keywords: clean up blocks

Q: Do Scratch projects work on a phone?
A: Yes, but some features may not work as well. Namely, many projects that require a keyboard, will not work. It is also much harder to navigate the site in several ways. Scratch was designed to be used on a computer.
Keywords: mobile device, cell phone

Q: How do you save a sprite’s costume?
A: Right-click (or hold on a mobile device) the costume in the costume editor, and then press “Export.” Only the image, not the transparent background that comes with it, will be saved that way.
Keywords: costume, backdrop, assets, export

Q: Why do people say to double-click the green flag?
A: Some projects with multiple “when green flag clicked” blocks can be a bit buggy with only one click. Clicking multiple times ensures that the lag will be reduced.
Keywords: double click, green flag

Q: Where are extensions?
A: Click on the purple button at the bottom of the project editor. Then, click on the desired extension.
Keywords: pen, extensions

Q: Why aren’t cloud variables working?
A: Cloud data only works for Scratchers. New Scratchers have a lot of restrictions to prevent misuse of their Scratch account. If it still doesn't work, report it here.
Keywords: cloud data

Section 4: Rules and Moderation
Have any questions about the rules of Scratch? Go here before asking them. (Note: This does not cover forum rules; please use Section 1: The Forums).

Q: Can the Scratch Team ban/unban this user?
A: Ban information is kept between the account owner and the Scratch Team. It is not appropriate to share this information on the website; banned users can appeal via Contact Us.

Minor offenses should always be reported with the Report button. If the situation is major (impersonation, harassment, exposing personal info, etc.) use Contact Us. It is against the guidelines to name and shame, so drama that is carried onto the main site or the forums may be deleted.
Keywords: banned, unbanned

Q: Why was this user banned?
A: The reason as to why a user was banned is kept between them and the Scratch Team and isn't definitively answerable, all bans and punishments are for breaking rules (for example the Community Guidelines or policies).
Keywords: banned

Q: Will inappropriate projects with warnings be taken down?
A: Warnings do not influence the Scratch Team's decision to take down projects. If a project is inappropriate for Scratch, it will get removed regardless of whether the project has a warning or not.
Keywords: warnings, jumpscares

Q: Are love/favorite detectors allowed?
A: If loves or favorites are used to give any advantage in the project, including a skin, then a love or favorite detector is not allowed. Otherwise, it is fine.
Keywords: love, favorite

Q: Is it okay to make cloud chat projects with blacklisted words?
A: No, because some curious users could go inside the project and see those words. Chat projects in general are not okay unless they have pre-set phrases that people can choose to say.
Keywords: cloud chat, whitelist, blacklist

Q: Are unrelated tags allowed?
A: No. Hashtags unrelated to the project are dishonest, which breaks the Community Guidelines. They would also make the project in sections of Explore and other places where it shouldn't be.
Keywords: tag spamming, explore, trending, #all #animations #art #games #music #stories #tutorials

Q: Why is ASCII/text art banned?
A: Text art (or more commonly known as ASCII art) is really long and large and can be used to form inappropriate imagery. It counts as spam and takes up storage.
Keywords: text art, ascii art

Q: When can censored projects be reshared?
A: If the Scratch Team has seen the censored project and has deemed it appropriate for Scratch, it will be ok to reshare. They will tell the project owner when it is ok to reshare it.
Keywords: projects, unshared, censored

Q: What is the relationship between alerts and bans?
A: The amount of alerts until a ban, depends on the offense. Basically, users will be banned if they break the guidelines multiple times without changing their behavior, or if they do something very serious, such as trolling, or something illegal.

@Za-Chary sums it up pretty well here.
Keywords: alerts, bans

Q: Is Roblox allowed to be linked on Scratch?
A: No. Due to issues happening on Roblox, users are not allowed to share links to Roblox or try to connect with others on Roblox.
Keywords: roblox username, roblox links

Q: Are exact remixes allowed?
A: No. Scratch is about creativity, and making exact remixes throws that goal down the drain. First, start by reporting the users’ copied projects. If the user doesn't stop, contact the Scratch Team.
Keywords: remix, copy

Q: Are face reveals allowed?
A: No. It is extremely unsafe for a user to share their face. Even though it used to be allowed in educational settings, it is no longer allowed due to misuse of it.
Keywords: face reveal

Q: What are false reporting and mass reporting?
A: Mass reporting is a real thing, as the ST's moderation system automatically takes down projects if there is a lot of reports in a short time to prevent anything bad from being spread. If the mass reports are false, however, the users doing the mass reporting will be moderated in some way, and the project will be brought back to Scratch.

Many users lie about being falsely reported. More information can be found here.
Keywords: mass reporting, false reporting

Q: Why do large numbers turn into X's in comments?
A: Scratch blocks long strings of numbers to prevent users from giving out phone numbers and other personal info.
Keywords: phone number

Q: What will happen to projects with excessive flashing lights?
A: According to this policy, projects with flashing lights are fine as long as they are not intended to disturb users. Unless it is toggleable, these sorts of projects may be removed.
Keywords: flashing lights

Q: What sites can users link to?
A: Many obscure sites are not allowed to be linked because they have ways to communicate privately. Scratch has public messaging, where everyone can see comments, and users are more respectful in the process. With private messaging, only intended recipients can see the message, therefore those users are more likely to be disrespectful. So the Scratch Team prefers to block these sites.

This extends to social media sites, media sharing sites, sites with links to other unsafe sites, sites notorious for their inappropriate content, and any obscure sites that are not trusted.

However, YouTube is a bit different. Sharing YouTube videos is allowed as long as the content and comments are for all ages and don't share personal information. Those same rules must be followed when linking YouTube channels, as well. Due to containing unmoderated chat, links to streams or premiers or channels with streams or premiers are not allowed.
Keywords: social media, streaming, youtube

Q: How do copyright laws affect projects?
A: If a company believes that a project is infringing on their rights to copyright, they can create a DMCA request to remove the project. If the Scratch Team can verify they are who they claim to be, they will have to remove the project to protect copyright. However, any Scratcher can appeal, stating why they believe the project was innocent.
Keywords: copyright, dmca

Q: Are guns allowed on Scratch?
A: Realistic guns are not allowed on Scratch. This is because they bring back traumatizing memories to some Scratchers. A laser gun, water gun, etc. is allowed, but pistols, rifles, etc. are not. For more information on what weapons are allowed, see this essay.
Keywords: guns, pistols, rifles, weapons

Q: What does NFE mean?
A: It means that the project had themes or relates to things that some Scratchers could feel uncomfortable by, but isn't bad enough to issue a project takedown. Projects with content such as violence, loud noises, slightly bothersome (but not too scary) images, etc., do not show up in search results.
Keywords: nfe, not for everyone, project review status

Q: Is rickrolling allowed?
A: As long as it is respectful, rickrolling is allowed. An example of rickrolling disrespectfully would be answering a question on the forums with a rickroll. That would be off-topic and impolite to the user who is struggling.
Keywords: rickroll, rick astley, never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you

Q: What happens if someone finds out a user’s real name?
A: First of all, the user whose name was revealed must contact the Scratch Team. They can help fix this fishy behavior. Next, the user must make sure not to reveal too much information about themself. A few bits of info are fine, but too much (or too significant) info can be detrimental. For example, it would be okay if a user revealed their first name and age, but it would not be wise for them to reveal their name, age, birthday, state he lives in, ethnicity, last initial, middle name, etc.
Keywords: personal information, full name

Q: Is there a way to block Scratchers?
A: There is no way to block Scratchers because it dodges the problem. If a Scratcher is being disrespectful, they need to silently be reported. Ignoring them will not necessarily stop them from continuing this behavior on the site and affecting others.

This has been suggested before and rejected for the following reasons.

Za-Chary wrote:

8.6 Blocking or ignoring Scratchers
This suggestion refers to an optional system that makes it so that you do not have to see comments that a particular user posts. This feature existed in Scratch 1.4, but the Scratch Team found that it buried any problems rather than solving them. Even if you block a user, that does not stop them from harassing other Scratchers. If someone is being disrespectful, be sure to report that user with the Report button, or use the Contact Us link if the situation requires more explanation.

However, a system to block users while simultaneously reporting them is NOT rejected; you can discuss them on this topic.

Keywords: blocking users, ignoring users

Q: Is it okay to use a mild version of a swear word?
A: Yes, but if the recipient does not approve of this word, their wish should be respected. For example, users can say frick. That is perfectly acceptable. Saying the original swear word, however, crosses the line between acceptable and unacceptable. Do not overstep the bounds. And if someone doesn’t like the word frick, it would be disrespectful to continue to use that word to them.
Keywords: minor swears, frick

Q: Is simulated gambling allowed?
A: Simulated gambling itself is allowed, as several Scratch Team members have gambling in their projects. However, please refrain from using inappropriate casino elements such as alcoholic beverages or inappropriate outfits.
Keywords: gambling, casino

Q: What is considered private information and what is not?
A: Sharing addresses, emails, private messaging sites, phone numbers, full names, birthdays and ages together, etc. would be considered private information that Scratchers are restricted from sharing. Users who share these things should be reported so that a Scratch Team member can take a look.
Keywords: personal information, full names

Q: What counts as a music-sharing project that isn't allowed?
A: If the music is not created by the project owner, is the sole purpose of the project, and does not express the project owner’s creativity in any way, it is not allowed for Scratch.
Keywords: music sharing

Q: What franchises are allowed to be referenced?
A: Most franchises are allowed on Scratch as long as the projects created with the franchise are appropriate. However, some projects related to inappropriate franchises (such as Five Nights at Freddy's or Doki Doki Literature Club) will not appear in search results or be NFE'd.

There are some rare exceptions for extremely inappropriate franchises, such as Squid Game. Due to being extremely inappropriate, Squid Game is not allowed to be referenced at all. More information on this can be found here.
Keywords: franchise, fnaf, ddlc, squid games

Q: Can users ban/kick certain people from a game?
A: No. Scratch projects are for anyone. If someone is misusing a project, they should be reported so that the Scratch Team can handle them.
Keywords: blocking users, ignoring users, blacklist

Q: Is kissing allowed on Scratch?
A: No. It would be inappropriate for younger kids to see kissing, so please report any kissing that you see on Scratch.
Keywords: kissing, romance

Q: Are alcoholic beverages allowed on Scratch?
A: No. These kinds of references are inappropriate for younger users, so please report any alcoholic beverages on Scratch.
Keywords: alcoholic beverages, wine, liquor

Q: How much blood is allowed in a project?
A: According to the wiki, the exact amount of blood is hard to tell, and it depends on how the blood is in the project. However, it's safer to not include any blood in your project, or the project might be marked NFE, or even taken down.
Keywords: blood

Q: Is discolored blood allowed?
A: The rules on discolored blood are the same as regular blood. It's technically allowed depending on how it's used, but it would be best to just add no blood.
Keywords: discolored blood

Q: Why is F4F allowed?
A: While many users tend to be annoyed by F4F, it is relatively harmless, and it does unite the community. If users do not wish to do F4F with another user, they should politely decline their request.
Keywords: follow for follow, f4f

Q: Are users allowed to make projects with extremely loud noises?
A: Yes, but it might be best to add a loud noise warning so people don't hurt their ears. Additionally, it may be marked Not for Everyone so that some users don't get their ears hurt.
Keywords: volume, loud noises

Q: Why is it considered too personal to share a birthdate and age?
A: While it is ok to share the birthdate or age, you cannot share both. If a user shares one of those, it's ok. If they reveal they're 15, for example, that's ok; there are a lot of 15-year-old Scratchers.

But let's say they revealed their birthday was December 13. That would be dangerous because it scarily narrows down how many Scratchers have such birth info, and users are much easier to be tracked down that way.
Keywords: personal information, birthday, age

Section 5: Scratch History and Lore
Need to catch up on some history and lore about Scratch? Go here!

Q: Who founded Scratch?
A: Mitchel Resnick, or @mres, is the founder of Scratch.
Keywords: founder, creator

Q: How did Scratch get its name?
A: Mitchel Resnick, the believed founder of Scratch, said himself that Scratch referred to how when DJs remix the music, they scratch it. This is also referring to how users can remix projects.
Keywords: scratch, name

Q: Who was @kaj?
A: @kaj was a Scratcher who threatened to hack the website. Note the fact they threatened to hack, but whether they did or not is unconfirmed. Nowadays the name is generally used as a meme, such as “Follow this studio or else @kaj will hack your account”. But if someone is trying to spread false info about @kaj, report the comments/studio/project(s). A more detailed description of the @kaj story can be found here.
Keywords: @kaj, hacking

Q: What is the oldest topic that still exists?
Topic 7 is the oldest topic that still exists.
Keywords: oldest topic, first topic

Q: What does it mean to “be moist”?
A: It's a trend that started when the user @Super_Scratch_Bros20 discovered the signature of a user named @Moisture. The signature read: “Be moist ” A user named @Za-Chary said he wanted this to be the newest trend, which gave a lot of users the idea to change their signatures to say “Be moist ”
Keywords: be moist, signature trend

Q: What is an evil kumquat?
A: A kumquat is a type of fruit. After the image host for @cheddargirl*'s signature stopped working, she changed her signature to say, “Sadly, my signature was eaten by an evil kumquat.”

Nowadays, it's a running joke among forumers. Many users include jokes about evil kumquats “eating” their signatures.
Keywords: evil kumquat, signature trend

Q: When will 4.0 come out?
A: 3.0 was released in January 2019. The Scratch Team is still trying to improve 3.0 and fix the bugs and glitches it has. As such, unless something major happens like Javascript goes obsolete (which is very unlikely), 4.0 will not be released anytime soon.
Keywords: scratch 4.0, update

Q: What was the removed Pac-Man project?
A: Bandai Namco, creators of PAC-MAN, found a PAC-MAN-related project made by @124scratch similar to the original game. Convinced that it infringed upon their rights, Bandai Namco sent a Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to the Scratch Team, ordering the project’s removal. Uninterested in commencing a legal war over a little kid’s project, the Scratch Team obeyed the DMCA and removed the PAC-MAN project.

This received a lot of backlash and users disagreed with the removal. Of course, many more projects were removed by DMCA requests, but the PAC-MAN project is the most notable. More information on the project can be found here, and more information on DMCA takedowns can be found here.
Keywords: pac-man, namco, dmca, copyright

Q: What are GDPR accounts?
A: GDPR is a set of European laws that gives users the ability to wipe every bit of data about them on any website. What Scratch does when a user wants to wipe their data is they set the username to “@gdpr” followed by a number or characters, and reset the birth date and country of the user.
Keywords: gdpr account, gdpr0000001, gdpr533f604550b2f20900645890

Q: How do accounts with no projects and no activity get tons of followers?
Most of those accounts are called namesnipes, where a user takes a common word used in a language or a popular topic, and sets their username to that word/topic. These accounts are commonly never used. Users on Scratch like to follow these accounts to do one of the following:

• Make a sentence using the following tab.
  
• Trick their followers in the “What's Happening” section.
  
• Follow them because simply they have a rare name.

Keywords: namesnipes, usernames, username trends

Q: What is Leanscratch?
A: Leanscratch is a site that appears to be a Chinese copy of Scratch. No one knows what exactly it is. It could be failed archiving. The Scratch Team does not know, but it is not affiliated with them.

However, they do know that it could be potentially dangerous. Such sites could exist to track what password you log in with so that they can use that information on Scratch. This is known as phishing. That could very well be the case. Leanscratch is a potentially dangerous website. It would be best to leave it alone, and not log in.
Keywords: leanscratch

Q: What is scratch.mit.edu/news?
A: It used to be used by the Scratch Team to make announcements. Now this page is abandoned since they have Tumblr and the announcements forum to make announcements.
Keywords: news, obsolete

Q: Who was the first user on Scratch?
A: The first account created was @wrgsfhwbxvb, a deleted test account. The first user that still exists on Scratch is @andresmh.
Keywords: first scratcher, first account

Section 6: Scratch Design and Statistics
Read this section if you need some knowledge about the way Scratch works.

Q: Why doesn't my project show in the search tab?
A: If your project is new, likely, that the project won’t appear yet. Just give it time. It could have also been marked as a project that is not for everyone, abbreviated as NFE, but the more likely reason is that your project is too new and hasn't been indexed by the search indexer yet, you can view this Scratch Wiki page for info.
Keywords: search indexer, search bar, explore

Q: When is Scratch Day?
A: The exact date has conflicting sources, but it's commonly believed to be May 14th. However, every year, “Scratch Day” events are on a different day, whatever fits in their schedule at that time of year.
Keywords: scratch day

Q: How does Scratch make money?
A: They accept generous donations that allow the site to continue to run. Scratch is non-profit, so they don't collect money from users or advertising companies.
Keywords: money, donations, users, advertisements

Q: Why do some parts of Scratch still have the old design?
A: They are still working on updating everything. At the moment, making certain parts of the website look better is fine.
Keywords: scratch 2.0, outdated, update

Q: Has the number of active users gone down or up since 3.0?
A: Even though a lot of users left at the beginning of the 3.0 update, the number of active users has significantly gone up, mostly due to COVID and a shift toward virtual schooling. So many users started using the site around the same time that Scratch constantly had maintenance problems around COVID-19.
Keywords: activity, users, statistics

Q: How do I use Scratch's custom emojis?
A: The full list of Scratch's custom emojis can be found in this wiki article. To use one, you have to put a keyword into underscores (note that this is only for the custom ones), for example:
will be replaced with a Scratch Cat emoji: .

The list also contains emojis that are allowed. Scratch only supports the Basic Multilingual Plane, mainly because a lot of emojis can be used in inappropriate contexts.
Keywords: scratch custom emojis, scratch cat emoji

Q: Why can't I delete a comment outside of my profile/projects?
A: Your profile or projects are yours. You have a right to delete any comments you want because it is your space. Being able to delete comments anywhere wouldn't make sense, because it's not in your own space.

More information from The Official List of Rejected Suggestions:

Za-Chary wrote:

6.1 Delete or edit your comments everywhere
The inability to delete your comments everywhere is put in place so users do not post inappropriate comments or spam comments on other users' profiles, projects, or studios, just to delete them later on. In contrast, you are not really likely to spam your own projects or profile. The only benefits to this are to remove comments that you did not mean to post and to fix spelling errors. The former could be solved by thinking carefully before posting any comments, and the latter could be worked around by typing slowly and/or stating your mistakes in a reply to the comment. This also applies to forum posts; that is, a feature for Scratchers to delete their own forum posts will not be implemented.

Editing comments could similarly lead to comment manipulation, such as a user commenting “I like this project,” waiting until someone replies with “I agree,” and then editing the original comment to say “I hate this project.” Allowing Scratch Team members to view the edit history of a comment does not make it easy to moderate, since then they have to look carefully at the context of each edit, which takes time.

Keywords: delete comments

Q: How do projects get views/popular?
A: Try putting projects in Add All Studios or advertise the project in Show and Tell. Still, keep in mind that Scratch is not about fame. It’s about creativity.
Keywords: views, popularity, fame

Q: How are comments made?
A: Go to the bottom of a profile, project, or comment tab on a studio, and there should be a bar to type in a message.
Keywords: commenting

Q: How do you change your featured project?
A: Go to your profile while logged into the account with the featured project you want to change. Click your featured project, and there should be a list you can scroll through to find the featured project you want! Select the project you want to feature, then press “OK”!
Keywords: featured project, banner

Q: Why is there a drop in the statistics every summer?
A: There are a lot of factors. For example, a lot of Scratch accounts are for education, so they're on break over the summer. Generally speaking, a lot of people do more outdoorsy things during the summer. A lot of people also can only use school iPads for Scratch, so having to turn those in can force inactivity.
Keywords: inactivity, summertime, school

Q: How do I get a featured studio/project?
A: To get a featured studio, go to this forum topic and apply for a featured studio
To get a featured project, go to this studio and suggest a project to be picked, though you may not suggest your own project. Please note that not everyone who submits will get featured.
Keywords: front page, feature

Q: Why did Scratch 3.0 come out?
A: Scratch 2.0 ran on Adobe Flash Player. Eventually, Flash got shut down, and Scratch could no longer use it. Scratch 3.0 was created because it runs on HTML5, effectively working around the removal of the Adobe Flash Player.
Keywords: html5, adobe flash, scratch 3.0

Q: What is a front page curator and how do I apply?
A: A front page curator, or FPC, is a user who curates, or puts on the front page, five projects at a time for one week. They do this by favoriting projects. After the week, they cannot become a front-page curator again.

To become a front-page curator, you must create a project informing why you would be a good FPC. You must also create a studio with the types of projects you'd curate, as well as explain projects you enjoy and would curate. Then, you link your project in the applications studio.

A Scratch Team member will view your application, but keep in mind very little gets chosen to be the next FPC. You can view more information in the wiki article.
Keywords: front page curator, fpc application

Section 7: The Scratch Wiki
Read this section if you need some knowledge about the Scratch Wiki.

Q: What is the Scratch Wiki?
A: The Scratch Wiki is a wiki made for Scratchers by Scratchers. It is a useful place that can teach you all you need to know about Scratch, and to this day is still being updated to maintain accuracy and preserve history.
Keywords: scratch wikii

Q: Why can't I log into the Scratch Wiki?
A: Even if you have a Scratch account, you cannot log in to the Scratch Wiki until you have requested an account. By making access to the wiki harder, it is less likely to be attacked by spammers, and if it's harder to join the wiki, it ensures that users will be well-behaved on the wiki. There are very few issues on the wiki because of its security.
Keywords: scratch wiki, log in, account

Q: Who made the April Fools article for the home page?
A: The Scratch Wiki home page April Fools article was originally made by the user @Krett12.
Keywords: april fools' day, afd, scratch wiki

Q: What is Wiki Wednesday?
A: Every few Wednesdays, @LiFayTheGoblin or @ceebee* makes a Wiki Wednesday topic, showcasing a wiki article that shows what the wiki has to offer.
Keywords: wiki wednesday, announcement, scratch wiki

Q: What is the Scratch Wiki Community Portal?
A: The Scratch Wiki Community Portal is a topic on the forums that introduces the wiki and allows users to ask questions about the wiki.
Keywords: scratch wiki, community portal

Q: How do I edit the wiki?
A: If you have an account, you can press the pencil button, and there should be an option to edit. Some important articles are protected so that only certain users can edit them, but most can be edited by anyone.
Keywords: editing, scratch wiki

Section 8: Account Information
Confused about your Scratch account? This is the place to go!

Q: Can you restore an already deleted account?
A: You can contact the Scratch Team and they'll take care of it, but try to avoid doing this often.
Keywords: deleted account, undelete, restore

Q: How do I become a Scratcher?
A: To get the Scratcher rank, your account must be at least 2 weeks old, have some shared projects, and be active in the community. Being active in the community means commenting on some people's profiles, viewing some projects, or joining some studios. Please note that you won't get the invitation to become a Scratcher as soon as you hit 2 weeks, it can take up to a month, if you meet the criteria of course.
Keywords: criteria, scratcher

Q: Is there a way to become a Scratcher instantly if you moved accounts?
A: No, you must work to regain the Scratcher status. Otherwise, spammers could just get the status with one account, and make a whole army of spam accounts with the Scratcher status.

The Scratch Team has considered it before, and rejected it:

Za-Chary wrote:

8.2 Add a rank above Scratcher or allow users to skip the New Scratcher status
There are three ranks: New Scratcher, Scratcher, and Scratch Team. The only reason the New Scratcher rank exists is to prevent spam, and since it only takes a few weeks to become a Scratcher, bullying and separation are rather minimal. Similarly, the Scratch Team rank exists so users know who is on the Scratch Team; note that Scratch Team members do not brag about the Scratch Team rank. In contrast, there may be division in the community between Scratchers and those with a higher rank, which could also lead to bragging and bullying. This also includes a “verified Scratcher” status where well-known Scratchers get a special symbol next to their name.

Although the restrictions for New Scratchers may seem annoying, they are extremely effective against spam and inappropriate content. For New Scratchers who are wondering how to become a Scratcher or what it means to be one, check out this post. The Scratch Team will not allow any accounts to “skip” the New Scratcher status, even if it is an alternate account of an existing account.

Keywords: alt account, scratcher

Q: How do I join the Scratch Team?
You must be 18 or older as it is a paying job, and you must be eligible to work in the United States. The most common listing is Community Moderator, as you can work even if you don't live near the Scratch HQ. The other jobs, however, are HQ strictly. To apply, go here.
Keywords: scratch team member, moderator

Q: I got hacked! What do I do?
A: Use Contact Us to explain to the Scratch Team you were hacked. While waiting for a reply, try to change your password if you can. That will prevent the user from getting into your account in the first place.
Keywords: hacked

Q: Can I change my username?
A: No. You cannot change your username. In some cases, however, such as if it contains personal information, inappropriate content, or causes gender dysphoria, you may use Contact Us and ask for it to be changed. There is no guarantee that the Scratch Team will decide to change your username, though. It is up to them.

The Scratch Team has considered it before, and rejected it:

Za-Chary wrote:

8.1 Changing usernames or changing display names
If a user could change their username (or even set a certain “nickname” or “display name”), this could be very confusing for the Scratch community, especially for those following that user. In addition, this would make moderation of the website more difficult because it would be harder for the Scratch Team to keep an eye on what a user may be doing. The Scratch Team has allowed username changes only on very rare occasions, such as if the username contains personal information or causes gender dysphoria. Generally, the Scratch Team does not change usernames on request (including for reasons such as “I do not like my current username anymore”).

However, because of the way that usernames are stored on the server, changing the cases of letters in your username (for example, changing @Za-Chary to @ZA-CHARY) is NOT rejected; you can discuss it on this topic.

Keywords: username change

Q: How do I find out the date I created my Scratch account?
A: You can either check ScratchStats or follow this link:

However, there is also another way to check if you are using a computer. Hover over the approximate date on your profile, and after a little bit, the exact date will appear. Note this does not work on mobile.
Keywords: account, creation, date, day

Q: What characters can go into usernames?
A: They can contain letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, underscores, and hyphens. If other characters were allowed, it could break the URL code.
Keywords: letters, numbers, usernames, symbols, spaces, accents

Q: I can’t find the confirmation email! What do I do?
A: Check your spam folder. You may also want to check to see if the email is spelled correctly. Try resending the email just to be safe. Your school may also be blocking some emails, and there is not much to be done there unless you can convince them to unblock it.
Keywords: confirmation email, email address

Section 9: Using Studios
Read this section to learn more about studios and how they can be used.

Q: How can I remove myself from a studio?
A: This project by @World_Languages has a useful solution on how to remove yourself from a studio at any time.
Keywords: remove, studio, uncurate

Q: Why won’t it let me transfer the studio host?
A: It could be several things. Firstly, New Scratchers cannot be the studio host. Users also cannot transfer the studio host more than once a day.
Keywords: transfer studio host, studio owner

Q: What does “Sorry you don't have permission to do that” mean?
A: If a user is a New Scratcher, or their account is deleted, they cannot be invited to a studio. If someone would try to invite them, this would pop up.
Keywords: invitation, studio invite

Q: What time of the day do studio activity messages come in?
A: It depends on the activity of the studio and the time zones of the users who use it.
Keywords: studio activity messages

Q: How many curators can join a studio?
A: There is no limit to the amount of curators in a studio. Some studios can have tens of thousands of curators. There is only a restriction on the number of managers. Only forty managers can be in a studio at once, to prevent people from misusing their powers.
Keywords: curator limit, manager limit

Q: Why do so many people hate studio activity messages?
A: When people get messages, they expect those messages to be comments, loves/favorites, or forum activity. But when people get messages from studios that they don’t care about, it can be very frustrating. Many users participate in many studios and get many studio activity messages every day.
Keywords: studio activity messages

Q: Do tags work on studios?
A: While tags do not become clickable in studio descriptions, they will still be categorized in Explore.
Keywords: tags, explore

Section 10: Terminology and Slang
This section is for definitions of the terminology that Scratchers frequently use.

Q: What are F4F and 4F4?
A: F4F stands for “follow for follow”, a practice when a user agrees to follow another user if the other user follows them back. This is commonly used by users (typically newer ones) as an attempt to get fame. Keep in mind that some users choose not to do F4F, so it’s best not to send them F4F requests. Also, keep in mind that sending the same user several F4F requests over and over again is considered spam, and it is possible to get alerted for doing so.

4F4 is a common misspelling of F4F, but was popularized when @griffpatch, the most well-known user on Scratch, wrote (as a joke) that he doesn’t participate in 4F4 or F4F.
Keywords: f4f, 4f4, follow for follow, 4 for 4

Q: What is FOR?
A: FOR stands for “follow on request”. When someone asks “FOR?”, they are essentially asking “can you follow me please?”. Keep in mind that, like F4F, some users may not want to partake in FOR.
Keywords: FOR, follow on request

Just wondering: What purple button is the “What is an extension?” part referring to?

EDawg2011 wrote:

Good luck on getting the sticky.

Also, the Scratch Workaround Guide Sticky as well since his application was accepted:
https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7822136/

EDawg2011 wrote:

MythosLore wrote:

Q: What is an evil kumquat?
A: A kumquat is a type of fruit. After the image host for @cheddargirl*'s signature stopped working, she changed her signature to say, “Sorry, my signature was eaten by an evil kumquat.”

It's currently “Sadly, my forum signature was eaten by an evil kumquat.”

Correct :P
https://en.scratch-wiki.info/wiki/Evil_Kumquat#History

{what method did you use::control hat
answer on profile ::motion
} ::operators

Credits

• Thanks to all the users who owned past topics of the FAQ, Dictionary, or Questions about Scratch Directory stickies.
  
• Thanks to the Scratch Wiki for providing useful links and information.
  
• Thanks to various users across all of the FAQ, Dictionary, or Questions about Scratch Directory topics for pointing out mistakes and other inconsistencies, and for suggesting questions and topics to be added to the lists!
  
• Thanks to @xXRedTheCoderXx for making the introduction banner and @Zydrolic for image hosting it.
  
• Thanks to @Super_Scratch_Bros20 for creating and image hosting the banners on sections 1-9 and @MythosLore (aka me) for creating and image hosting the banner on section 10.
  
• Thanks to @fdreerf for the idea of directories having keywords.
  

====================

Other Helpful Links

• The Official List of Rejected Suggestions (Suggestions Forum)
  
• Discuss the Policies of this Forum (TIRAP Forum)
  
• Discuss the Policies of this Forum (TIMAC Forum)
  
• Forum terminology, etiquette, and conventions! (New Scratchers Forum)
  

I think it's stickied now.
Yep, it is.

<0-0::sensing>//This is Charles; he protects my signature from evil kumquats.
when I'm spawned::events hat//This is the code Charles' brain runs on.
forever
if <[100] > (distance to [an evil kumquat v])> then
delete the evil kumquat::control
end
end

Welp, the 6th directory didn’t last long. It’s 7th now. Hopefully zydrolic will get better :salute:

Congratulations for the sticky I guess.

hydrofungus wrote:

Hopefully zydrolic will get better :salute:

o7

PETITION TO BRING BACK THE 6TH DIRECTORY!
Reason: The 6th one didn’t last that long also why do we need separate posts for each section?
QUOTE THIS AND SIGN YOUR USERNAME IF YOU AGREE TO BRING THE 6TH DIRECTORY BACK!

(^v^ :: motion) // Kumquat protector

when this sprite touches [mouse-pointer v] :: events hat

NotK3ndricAlt wrote:

PETITION TO BRING BACK THE 6TH DIRECTORY!
Reason: The 6th one didn’t last that long also why do we need separate posts for each section?
QUOTE THIS AND SIGN YOUR USERNAME IF YOU AGREE TO BRING THE 6TH DIRECTORY BACK!

Zydrolic has some issues i promised not to say, so he can’t manage the 6th directory anymore. And once ownership changes, the number goes up.

NotK3ndricAlt wrote:

why do we need separate posts for each section?

This is something that @Sliverus was planning on doing when he owned the directory.

For me anyway, I like it so the beginning (the table of contents) can have links to each section instead of requiring users to scroll through the whole thing to find it.

By the way, @Zydrolic told me that I should be the one to maintain it now, see my profile comments.
–
By the way, I renamed the “topic directory” to the “table of contents”. I think that it's a bit weird for a directory to have a directory. Should I change it back?

I also removed the Crummy Scratchers Wiki question due to it not being asked frequently.