I'm not sure if this is a suggestion I can post here, but I don't know where else to share it. Also, what I am critiquing here is the policy that curators adhere to, not the curators themselves.

To start, it's great how curators are taught to be as accepting as possible despite the project quality. This fosters a culture of kindness, because rejecting proposals just because they are not high-quality might give off a discouraging atmosphere.

However, I believe this becomes an issue when it comes to remixes being proposed. There are probably rare cases where a remix changed a significant amount in the original project that it is already considered qualified to be featured. However, I still believe this is rare. One time, I witnessed a remix got accepted in the studio, but the only change that was made was adding subtitles to an existing animation project (that is popular). I actually asked about it, and the curator decided to keep it and reasoned out about how rejecting the proposal might discourage Scratchers (Again, this is about the policy, not the curators). Honestly I think I might have overstepped a bit there and I learned that it's not an issue because the ST would just see that it's a remix.

BUT…. just recently I noticed an actual stolen project with a few adjustments. Not a remix, because there is no indication at the top right. Straight up stolen. This time, I knew it was necessary to bring it up. However, because of the few adjustments made, it has been decided for it to remain in the studio. It's a stolen project nonetheless, and it's going to be unfair for the original creator.

My point is, this “leniency policy”, or whatever it is called could be dangerous if the leniency reaches this level. Hence, my suggestion for stricter standards when it comes to remixes (or stolen projects that apparently have a few adjustments that still qualifies it to be in the studio). Also I need to stress this again because I don't want to get misunderstood, my concern is about the policy, not how the curators are acting, I have no problem with them.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

However, I believe this becomes an issue when it comes to remixes being proposed. There are probably rare cases where a remix changed a significant amount in the original project that it is already considered qualified to be featured. However, I still believe this is rare. One time, I witnessed a remix got accepted in the studio, but the only change that was made was adding subtitles to an existing animation project (that is popular). I actually asked about it, and the curator decided to keep it and reasoned out about how rejecting the proposal might discourage Scratchers (Again, this is about the policy, not the curators). Honestly I think I might have overstepped a bit there and I learned that it's not an issue because the ST would just see that it's a remix.

i think this falls under “censor minor remixes”. so yeah, the ST would still see this as a minor remix.

Za-Chary wrote:

3.2 Disable remixing or censor minor remixes
One of the most important ideas of Scratch is the share aspect. Scratch is a website not only for displaying your work, but also for sharing it with others, and by posting your project on the Scratch website you agree to allow others to remix your work. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. You are not allowed to write “Do not remix this project” in the Notes and Credits of your project; you may get alerted for this, because it discourages remixing. This suggestion extends to the ability to require permission to remix a project, as you have already given permission to others to use your creations by sharing a project on Scratch; for more information, see this post.

A remix of a project is allowed on Scratch, even if the remix only contains minor changes (this includes recolors). However, when you remix a project, you should put in the Notes and Credits what you changed. If you see a project that contains no noticeable changes, please use the Report button on it so the Scratch Team can take a look at it. This suggestion extends to “extremely minor remixes,” such as a remix of a game that gives you 2 points per second instead of 1. As long as the user explains what they changed about the project and gives proper credit, this is okay.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

BUT…. just recently I noticed an actual stolen project with a few adjustments. Not a remix, because there is no indication at the top right. Straight up stolen. This time, I knew it was necessary to bring it up. However, because of the few adjustments made, it has been decided for it to remain in the studio. It's a stolen project nonetheless, and it's going to be unfair for the original creator.

My point is, this “leniency policy”, or whatever it is called could be dangerous if the leniency reaches this level. Hence, my suggestion for stricter standards when it comes to remixes (or stolen projects that apparently have a few adjustments that still qualifies it to be in the studio). Also I need to stress this again because I don't want to get misunderstood, my concern is about the policy, not how the curators are acting, I have no problem with them.

well, i think that they can't do anything about that. anyone could go in your project at any time, download it, and repost it without giving credit. it is what it is, and the most we can do is report it.

can you also elaborate a bit more about what you want to do about it, like give examples about what you'd do to leave the policy stricter? we can't support you if we don't know the specifics of what you want.

indigomoondev wrote:

RoyaleSpark wrote:

However, I believe this becomes an issue when it comes to remixes being proposed. There are probably rare cases where a remix changed a significant amount in the original project that it is already considered qualified to be featured. However, I still believe this is rare. One time, I witnessed a remix got accepted in the studio, but the only change that was made was adding subtitles to an existing animation project (that is popular). I actually asked about it, and the curator decided to keep it and reasoned out about how rejecting the proposal might discourage Scratchers (Again, this is about the policy, not the curators). Honestly I think I might have overstepped a bit there and I learned that it's not an issue because the ST would just see that it's a remix.

i think this falls under “censor minor remixes”. so yeah, the ST would still see this as a minor remix.

Yeah the existence of minor remixes isn't an issue. Them getting accepted in the proposals studio is something I found a little concerning at first but then I thought ST could just think “Ohh seems like this is just a remix that added subtitles, ok let's move on and check if the next project is feature-worthy.” Still, I feel like it would still be better if they were politely rejected as well, as that would encourage Scratchers to propose projects that really deserve to featured.

indigomoondev wrote:

RoyaleSpark wrote:

BUT…. just recently I noticed an actual stolen project with a few adjustments. Not a remix, because there is no indication at the top right. Straight up stolen. This time, I knew it was necessary to bring it up. However, because of the few adjustments made, it has been decided for it to remain in the studio. It's a stolen project nonetheless, and it's going to be unfair for the original creator.

My point is, this “leniency policy”, or whatever it is called could be dangerous if the leniency reaches this level. Hence, my suggestion for stricter standards when it comes to remixes (or stolen projects that apparently have a few adjustments that still qualifies it to be in the studio). Also I need to stress this again because I don't want to get misunderstood, my concern is about the policy, not how the curators are acting, I have no problem with them.

well, i think that they can't do anything about that. anyone could go in your project at any time, download it, and repost it without giving credit. it is what it is, and the most we can do is report it.

can you also elaborate a bit more about what you want to do about it, like give examples about what you'd do to leave the policy stricter? we can't support you if we don't know the specifics of what you want.

I actually reported the project already. It just surprised me a bit that the curator decided to keep it. I know the reason for this, they were likely told and oriented that if a Scratcher proposes a remix with any changes, they'll still accept it to not cause any discouragement. That is a non-issue in the grand scheme of things, but this one in particular is a stolen project that happened to change some from the original. ST could come into the studio, check the project, and feature it because there is no indication that it is a remix.

Yeah I did what I can and reported the project, and as for the specifics, I just hope that perhaps the leader of the curators, or the ST could do something about this and perhaps tell the curators “We will stay lenient in accepting remixes, but if it is an actual stolen project, kindly remove it, whether there are changes or not.” Actually, I'd say minor remixes shouldn't be accepted either, but again, they are not as severe as stolen projects. Also, I'm mainly doing this for the justice of original project creators, because it's really really unfair for them if you know…

RoyaleSpark wrote:

I actually reported the project already. It just surprised me a bit that the curator decided to keep it. I know the reason for this, they were likely told and oriented that if a Scratcher proposes a remix with any changes, they'll still accept it to not cause any discouragement. That is a non-issue in the grand scheme of things, but this one in particular is a stolen project that happened to change some from the original. ST could come into the studio, check the project, and feature it because there is no indication that it is a remix.

Yeah I did what I can and reported the project, and as for the specifics, I just hope that perhaps the leader of the curators, or the ST could do something about this and perhaps tell the curators “We will stay lenient in accepting remixes, but if it is an actual stolen project, kindly remove it, whether there are changes or not.” Actually, I'd say minor remixes shouldn't be accepted either, but again, they are not as severe as stolen projects. Also, I'm mainly doing this for the justice of original project creators, because it's really really unfair for them if you know…

oh, i get what you mean now. yeah, stealing other project, not giving the original creator the credit they deserve, and then GETTING FEATURED WITH YOUR STOLEN PROJECT is extremely wrong. i can't even imagine how sad the original creator would be at the moment, being overshadowed by their own project because someone else stole it. and as i said, the thing about it that leaves me more frustrated is the fact that it can happen anytime without us knowing.

however, no support for minor remixes not being allowed. as i said, it is rejected, and i still don't really think that the ST should have a stricter rule about it at all. some could even help some people (for example: the subtitles remix you mentioned) and could be really useful, so i don't see why they should be discouraged. and also, remixes (even if minor) help new scratchers to understand scratch's visual coding method better.

to be honest, i think the one thing that the ST can't really help with is detecting stolen projects unless they are reported, so that is a problem that can't really be fixed, though i still think it's the curators' fault for actually allowing the project to be added. so, my thought about this?

this serves as an useful PSA.

indigomoondev wrote:

oh, i get what you mean now. yeah, stealing other project, not giving the original creator the credit they deserve, and then GETTING FEATURED WITH YOUR STOLEN PROJECT is extremely wrong. i can't even imagine how sad the original creator would be at the moment, being overshadowed by their own project because someone else stole it. and as i said, the thing about it that leaves me more frustrated is the fact that it can happen anytime without us knowing.

Yes exactly.

indigomoondev wrote:

however, no support for minor remixes not being allowed. as i said, it is rejected, and i still don't really think that the ST should have a stricter rule about it at all. some could even help some people (for example: the subtitles remix you mentioned) and could be really useful, so i don't see why they should be discouraged. and also, remixes (even if minor) help new scratchers to understand scratch's visual coding method better.

Wait, I feel like there might be a misunderstanding here, or perhaps I did not word my thoughts well. Minor remixes existing doesn't matter. What concerns me a bit is if they are accepted in the Propose Projects To Be Featured studio. The only reason it concerns me a bit and not a lot is because there is still an indication at the top right that it's a remix, so the Scratch Team will likely ignore the project and check the next one. The remix that added subtitles to the animation can stay posted, and is helpful, especially for the deaf probably. BUT, I don't think it should be featured, because it's unfair for the original. Being accepted in the PPTBF studio, well my stance is it's better if it's not, to encourage users to propose projects that are original and deserving.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Wait, I feel like there might be a misunderstanding here, or perhaps I did not word my thoughts well. Minor remixes existing doesn't matter. What concerns me a bit is if they are accepted in the Propose Projects To Be Featured studio. The only reason it concerns me a bit and not a lot is because there is still an indication at the top right that it's a remix, so the Scratch Team will likely ignore the project and check the next one. The remix that added subtitles to the animation can stay posted, and is helpful, especially for the deaf probably. BUT, I don't think it should be featured, because it's unfair for the original. Being accepted in the PPTBF studio, well my stance is it's better if it's not, to encourage users to propose projects that are original and deserving.

oh okay. and yeah, i only said “no support” because i thought you were saying that minor remixes shouldn't be allowed at all. now i understand your concerns that they shouldn't get featured if they don't deserve it or if they are overshadowing the original creator's project. to be honest? i think semi-support: my take on this is that the curators should add the original project, since they can then check out the remix tree after they take a good look at it. however, i think remixes should still be featured if they are really useful and better than the original. btw, since it's a remix, then it's not “unfair to the original creator”, since they acknowledge that when they post their project, they are embracing remix culture. also, since it's a remix, then if you really like it you can go to the original project linked at the top right.

if you ever see remixes or stolen projects that change nothing compared to the original again, report them and link the original project.

i hope this is clear because i'm still kinda tired and my head isn't working properly so hope this helps!

indigomoondev wrote:

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Wait, I feel like there might be a misunderstanding here, or perhaps I did not word my thoughts well. Minor remixes existing doesn't matter. What concerns me a bit is if they are accepted in the Propose Projects To Be Featured studio. The only reason it concerns me a bit and not a lot is because there is still an indication at the top right that it's a remix, so the Scratch Team will likely ignore the project and check the next one. The remix that added subtitles to the animation can stay posted, and is helpful, especially for the deaf probably. BUT, I don't think it should be featured, because it's unfair for the original. Being accepted in the PPTBF studio, well my stance is it's better if it's not, to encourage users to propose projects that are original and deserving.

oh okay. and yeah, i only said “no support” because i thought you were saying that minor remixes shouldn't be allowed at all. now i understand your concerns that they shouldn't get featured if they don't deserve it or if they are overshadowing the original creator's project. to be honest? i think semi-support: my take on this is that the curators should add the original project, since they can then check out the remix tree after they take a good look at it. however, i think remixes should still be featured if they are really useful and better than the original. btw, since it's a remix, then it's not “unfair to the original creator”, since they acknowledge that when they post their project, they are embracing remix culture. also, since it's a remix, then if you really like it you can go to the original project linked at the top right.

if you ever see remixes or stolen projects that change nothing compared to the original again, report them and link the original project.

i hope this is clear because i'm still kinda tired and my head isn't working properly so hope this helps!

Yes this definitely helps and I understand your reasoning.

Also a minor detail I feel like mentioning even if it's not that important. I did reason out with the curator on why it's better for it to be removed, but as mentioned it was ultimately decided that the project is staying. I don't want to be a war freak or an argument instigator, so I knew I should not say more and hopefully my report is enough.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Yes this definitely helps and I understand your reasoning.

Also a minor detail I feel like mentioning even if it's not that important. I did reason out with the curator on why it's better for it to be removed, but as mentioned it was ultimately decided that the project is staying. I don't want to be a war freak or an argument instigator, so I knew I had to stop and hopefully my report is enough.

the ST is (probably) already looking into it, don't worry.

also, something tells me that the studio curator is going to get an alert from them. just a gut feeling, you know?

… Ok this is still relevant (just experienced another situation).

Copies of projects that don't indicate it's a remix AND don't give credit to the original is a no no. They should not be considered remixes, even if there are small changes present. It's downtright stealing. This unspoken “if there are any changes at all no matter how small, they still qualify to be in the PPTBF studio” rule is too much tbh. It should not include projects that are stolen through asset stealing or perhaps downloading a project and uploading it as your own? (not sure if that's how projects get stolen) The only ones that should qualify are projects where the Scratcher clicked the remix button and made changes.

Ofc, I did my part by reporting. I just don't understand why there seems to be this strong barrier preventing curators from removing what makes sense to be removed (I'm critiquing the rule, not the curators).

RoyaleSpark wrote:

… Ok this is still relevant (just experienced another situation).

Copies of projects that don't indicate it's a remix AND don't give credit to the original is a no no. They should not be considered remixes, even if there are small changes present. It's downtright stealing. This unspoken “if there are any changes at all no matter how small, they still qualify to be in the PPTBF studio” rule is too much tbh. It should not include projects that are stolen through asset stealing or perhaps downloading a project and uploading it as your own? (not sure if that's how projects get stolen) The only ones that should qualify are projects where the Scratcher clicked the remix button and made changes.

Ofc, I did my part by reporting.

yeah, stealing projects, leaving them as-is and uploading them as your own is not allowed. however, iirc i think that downloading projects changing them and uploading them to the site without remixing is okay as long as you give credit to the OG project.

since the way you described it seemed more like the second instance, then it does not count as stealing unless it made no changes. even the smallest of changes is still a remix, whether you want it or not.

so yeah, if it still gives credit you also reported it for nothing.

indigomoondev wrote:

so yeah, if it still gives credit you also reported it for nothing.

Ohh it did not actually

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Copies of projects that don't indicate it's a remix AND don't give credit to the original is a no no.

The project met these two conditions. It's a genuine case where someone tries to claim another person's work as their own. The credit indeed would have made a difference and I can just ignore how little the change is.

oh okay, you're fine then. i forgot to talk about this too:

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Copies of projects that don't indicate it's a remix AND don't give credit to the original is a no no.

i am genuinely confused. are you suggesting ST to ban this or are you saying it's already an existent rule? if it's the first option, then this is already not allowed, so suggesting to stop this is suggesting something that was already implemented. as a matter of fact, this is why there is a report option for stolen content. sorry but i was genuinely confused looking back at it.

indigomoondev wrote:

oh okay, you're fine then. i forgot to talk about this too:

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Copies of projects that don't indicate it's a remix AND don't give credit to the original is a no no.

i am genuinely confused. are you suggesting ST to ban this or are you saying it's already an existent rule? if it's the first option, then this is already not allowed, so suggesting to stop this is suggesting something that was already implemented. as a matter of fact, this is why there is a report option for stolen content. sorry but i was genuinely confused looking back at it.

This is in regards to proposals for featured and the PPTBF studio. I believe those kinds of stolen projects should be removed from there as soon as they are discovered to be stolen. Them still staying there could fool people into thinking that they are original when in fact they are stolen. If reporting doesn't do anything (tbh the first project that led me to post this topic is still up, someone in the comments also noticed it's unoriginal, idk if they reported as well but yeah), they should at least not be given more exposure.

There is already an incident where a stolen project got featured. People just found out it's a copy after it got featured. It's best to prevent that from happening.

since this reached up to october and i feel like you need more answers… *this topic has been randomly bumped by yours truly*

Support. The reason for the featured section is to inspire new scratchers, so why not feature the original project that is supposed to inspire people? Also, it’s not breaking any creative common laws if this would be implemented im sure.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Honestly I think I might have overstepped a bit there and I learned that it's not an issue because the ST would just see that it's a remix.

Indeed, regardless of which projects get added to the studio, remember that the Scratch Team has the final say over which projects get featured. A Scratch Team member doesn't feature a project just because it was in that studio. They consider other things — whether the project is already popular, whether the project creator is already popular, whether it is a good use of remixing, etc.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

However, because of the few adjustments made, it has been decided for it to remain in the studio. It's a stolen project nonetheless, and it's going to be unfair for the original creator.

I'd just recommend reporting the project as an exact copy. Telling others publicly that the project is an exact copy is considered gossip and shouldn't be done.

RoyaleSpark wrote:

Hence, my suggestion for stricter standards when it comes to remixes (or stolen projects that apparently have a few adjustments that still qualifies it to be in the studio).

If remixed projects should be held to stricter standards, then so should all other projects (since the Scratch Team views remixes as valid Scratch projects — and “”“minor”“” remixes have been featured before). But then, under these stricter standards, that introduces problems that you already mentioned. So it seems like your suggestion is really more about stolen projects as opposed to remixed projects. But there's not really a way to address stolen projects without breaking the Community Guidelines, so the only way to deal with that is to report the stolen project.