Discuss Scratch

CK840R30R8
Scratcher
40 posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

In Scratch, when you share a project, everyone can remix your projects. They don’t have to ask the project owner whether the project owner minds if a viewer remixes the project. They can freely remix it right away while some project owners are not happy about it. The projects that have been remixed so far will stay there, but making new remixes would not work. In this 1,200 word opinion piece, I have 8 reasons why remixing & seeing inside should be blockable.

Projects are vulnerable to hacking & cheating
Because we can remix & see inside others projects, especially games, can easily be hacked or a user can easily cheat in the game. An example of hacking is making a project or game behave weirdly compared to how it is supposed to behave. An example of cheating is giving yourself 999,999 in-game currency, multiplying rewards or making a character move two times faster. I want scratchers to play the games or use the projects the right way and not by cheating/hacking.

Solutions to these problems would be to give an option to disable remixing & make users able to view someone else’s projects code but also unable to edit someone else’s projects unless they remixed it.

Stealing projects is so easy
When you see inside someone else’s project, you can steal someone’s project easily by saving the file to your computer, not by remixing, and make it like it was all made by someone else & get more fame than the original one if they don’t want to give someone else credit. The project owner might not notice that the project has been stolen, or the community might never notice that this was originally someone else’s project.

I think users should only be able to save their own projects or remixes to the computer or someone else’s ones only if the owner gives a permission in special situations like moving stuff away from the school account to keep it or just by making a new account in another device.

Backpacking stuff from others without giving a credit
In Scratch, there is a backpack feature at the bottom of the project editor. Not you can only backpack your own code, sprites, costumes, backdrops & sounds, but also others’ stuff. It is easy to take stuff from others & drop it to your own projects & not give credit. It is not only possible to steal entire projects, but also other assets.

When someone is backpacking stuff from others’ projects, the credit should be built into that asset. When dropped to your projects, the asset would automatically insert the original owner to the “Notes & Credits” box. This user can’t be removed (unless they delete the asset from their project) from the text field, forcing them to give credit.

Remixes will stay in outdated remix projects’ versions
Let’s say that someone wants to remix a project that gets updates all the time. The original project would get a fresh new update while the remix stays in the old version. The project remixer either has to re-remix the original project & remake the changes of the remix or stay in the old version. This means that the original project would get more love because the newer versions offer more features & bugfixes.

This means that disabling remixes would prevent this extra work or struggling because the remix owners are too lazy to update to the latest original project version.

Projects that have “save codes” shouldn’t be available to remixing
Some projects have “save code” systems which you could use to load your progress in games or load your or others’ work in creative projects such as projects where you can place furniture & props inside a house however you want to. It is easy to effect your save code with “progress boosters” where you can for example change 1 point per second to 5 points per second, play the game for some time & copy the save code for yourself to cheat in the game.

This is another reason why remixing & seeing inside should have a right to be blocked or make the script uneditable for others while the owner can censor scripts that generate save codes, not to make it easy for cheaters to learn how the save code system works.

Inappropriate remixes are going to the mailboxes
I’d rather see inappropriate projects in Scratch as a normal projects rather than as a remixes. Inappropriate remixes are worse than inappropriate new projects, because whenever someone shares an inappropriate remix, the owner of the original project owner would get a message “ExampleUser remixed your project Untitled remix. Check out the remix!”, leading the owner to the inappropriate project. If a little kid would get this message, something bad would happen to them because of the remix. This means that someone can remix someone else’s projects just to harass or bully someone by hiding it from the mailbox. With comments, you can only insult someone with words, while in projects, you can also harass someone with inappropriate images.

Scratch Team wants to keep the remix culture big & make it safer for little kids, both at the same time. Scratch Team, but now you have to choose which one matters more to you, keeping little kids safe or keeping the remix culture as it is. I would choose keeping little kids safe while shrinking the remix culture.

Some remixes have no noticeable changes or changes at all
Some of the remixes only have small changes & didn’t say in ‘Instructions’ or in ‘Notes & Credits’ what they changed & some of the remixes are exact copies of the original project or it’s older version. These copies just take space in remix library & preventing others from seeing remixes that actually changed something. It also takes more time scrolling past copies to find remixes that have difference compared to the original one. Minor remixes wouldn’t annoy me, but exact copies would, especially if there’s lot of them. Also, having less copies as a remixes, means lot less reporting about remixing for no reason, and Scratch Team can focus more on moderating comments, projects or make Scratch better, for example.

Not everyone wants to have their projects remixed
When you share a project, everyone can remix a project, and most of them don’t ask a permission from the owner to remix. When you ask others not to remix a project as an owner, you’ll get alerted. According to the Community Guidelines, by showing others your project, you’re giving everyone right to remix. Some users who show their project, want to display it, but secretly doesn’t give the rights to remix. The project is getting lot of remixes and the project owner is secretly angry/sad/depressed or anything similar. If community chose to unshare their project to avoid getting remixes, there would be lot less visible projects, discouraging project displaying & Scratch will be a place to imagine & create, but not to share.

Scratch Team, do you want this to happen? I also avoid publishing large games in Scratch, because of the remix culture. You’d like to see those games in public, right? If yes, then let me disable remixing.
blackcow29
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

Unfortunately, part of this is a rejected suggestion:
4.1 Disable “See Inside” or private sharing
Some users want an option to prevent Scratchers from looking inside their project and using their artwork, scripts, or sounds. However, the core ideas of Scratch are “Imagine, Program, Share.“ By sharing a project on the Scratch website, you are allowing others to see the code and potentially remix or reuse the data inside, as long as they give credit. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. That being said, please use the Report button on any project that uses content from another Scratcher without giving credit to them. If you do not want other users to see inside your project, then do not share your project on the Scratch website.

Private sharing so that only certain users can view the project is also not going to be implemented. It is important for projects to be publicly shared for everyone to see so people can report them if they are inappropriate. Only allowing certain users to view projects could increase the chances of inappropriate projects being shared on the website. ”Unlisted projects,” similar to a YouTube feature, will also not be implemented for the same reason; for more information, see this post. It could also be used for private messaging; for more information, see #8.1 on this list.
Also, a major part of Scratch is remixing. As stated in the community guidelines, “embrace remix culture.” By sharing your project on Scratch, you agree to let others remix your work.

Last edited by blackcow29 (June 22, 2026 20:08:37)

HunterRedmond
Scratcher
500+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

This is a rejected suggestion:

Za-Chary wrote:

4.1 Disable “See Inside” or private sharing
Some users want an option to prevent Scratchers from looking inside their project and using their artwork, scripts, or sounds. However, the core ideas of Scratch are "Imagine, Program, Share.“ By sharing a project on the Scratch website, you are allowing others to see the code and potentially remix or reuse the data inside, as long as they give credit. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. That being said, please use the Report button on any project that uses content from another Scratcher without giving credit to them. If you do not want other users to see inside your project, then do not share your project on the Scratch website.

Private sharing so that only certain users can view the project is also not going to be implemented. It is important for projects to be publicly shared for everyone to see so people can report them if they are inappropriate. Only allowing certain users to view projects could increase the chances of inappropriate projects being shared on the website. ”Unlisted projects," similar to a YouTube feature, will also not be implemented for the same reason; for more information, see this post. It could also be used for private messaging; for more information, see #8.1 on this list.


That being said, if someone uses your sprite without credit, you can always report the project.
I think the benefits of remixing/see inside outweigh the occasional cheater.
AdaVesta_
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

welcome to the forums. first of all, these are rejected:

tlors 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 ask others not to remix your projects; you may get alerted for this, because it discourages remixing. This 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 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.

However, a feature that prevents unchanged remixes from being shared is NOT rejected. You can discuss it on this topic.


4.1 Disable “See Inside” or private sharing
Some users want an option to prevent Scratchers from looking inside their project and using their artwork, scripts, or sounds. However, the core ideas of Scratch are "Imagine, Program, Share.“ By sharing a project on the Scratch website, you are allowing others to see the code and potentially remix or reuse the data inside, as long as they give credit. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. That being said, please use the Report button on any project that uses content from another Scratcher without giving credit to them. If you do not want other users to see inside your project, then do not share your project on the Scratch website.

Private sharing so that only certain users can view the project is also not going to be implemented. It is important for projects to be publicly shared for everyone to see so people can report them if they are inappropriate. Only allowing certain users to view projects could increase the chances of inappropriate projects being shared on the website. ”Unlisted projects," similar to a YouTube feature, will also not be implemented for the same reason; for more information, see this post. It could also be used for private messaging; for more information, see #8.1 on this list.

their project, but it tells nothing about what the creator could do better. If you do not like a project, you could choose not to love it, or you could leave a respectful and constructive comment telling the user how to improve, in addition to saying what you like about the project.

With that, a dislike button is rejected for anything, including projects and comments. This includes a dislike or “thumbs down” emoji for comments. This also includes a decoy dislike button that does not raise any number in a “dislike counter”; for more information, see this post. However, a like button for comments is NOT rejected. You can discuss it on this topic.

and second, how is this a suggestion..?

edit: double ninja'd

Last edited by AdaVesta_ (June 22, 2026 20:14:02)

CK840R30R8
Scratcher
40 posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

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 ask others not to remix your projects; you may get alerted for this, because it discourages remixing. This 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 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.

However, a feature that prevents unchanged remixes from being shared is NOT rejected. You can discuss it on this topic.


4.1 Disable “See Inside” or private sharing
Some users want an option to prevent Scratchers from looking inside their project and using their artwork, scripts, or sounds. However, the core ideas of Scratch are “Imagine, Program, Share.“ By sharing a project on the Scratch website, you are allowing others to see the code and potentially remix or reuse the data inside, as long as they give credit. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. That being said, please use the Report button on any project that uses content from another Scratcher without giving credit to them. If you do not want other users to see inside your project, then do not share your project on the Scratch website.

Private sharing so that only certain users can view the project is also not going to be implemented. It is important for projects to be publicly shared for everyone to see so people can report them if they are inappropriate. Only allowing certain users to view projects could increase the chances of inappropriate projects being shared on the website. ”Unlisted projects,” similar to a YouTube feature, will also not be implemented for the same reason; for more information, see this post. It could also be used for private messaging; for more information, see #8.1 on this list.


I know that this is a rejected suggestion. But I disagree with that forum & Community Guidelines.

I bet that I have more reasons on why things that said in my opinion piece should be implemented Scratch than Scratch Team has good reasons on why remixing should continue to be what it is like now. That’s exactly why I started this topic.

Last edited by CK840R30R8 (June 22, 2026 20:18:52)

HunterRedmond
Scratcher
500+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

Za-chary wrote:

Note that un-rejecting a suggestion is up to the discretion of the Scratch Team. So, please do not make any posts in the “Suggestions” forum asking that the Scratch Team “rethink” a rejected suggestion unless you are giving a solution to the problem that caused the feature to be rejected.

AdaVesta_
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

CK840R30R8 wrote:

Za-Chary wrote:
-snip-

I know that this is a rejected suggestion. But I disagree with that forum & Community Guidelines.

I bet that I have more reasons on why things that said in my opinion piece should be implemented Scratch than Scratch Team has good reasons on why remixing should continue to be what it is like now. That’s exactly why I started this topic.

– look above me i forgot about mis-rejecting –

Last edited by AdaVesta_ (June 22, 2026 20:18:47)

ZippyZebraZoom85749
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

CK840R30R8 wrote:

Za-Chary wrote:
4.1 Disable “See Inside” or private sharing
Some users want an option to prevent Scratchers from looking inside their project and using their artwork, scripts, or sounds. However, the core ideas of Scratch are “Imagine, Program, Share.“ By sharing a project on the Scratch website, you are allowing others to see the code and potentially remix or reuse the data inside, as long as they give credit. This includes allowing others to use the backpack to use your creations in their own projects. That being said, please use the Report button on any project that uses content from another Scratcher without giving credit to them. If you do not want other users to see inside your project, then do not share your project on the Scratch website.

Private sharing so that only certain users can view the project is also not going to be implemented. It is important for projects to be publicly shared for everyone to see so people can report them if they are inappropriate. Only allowing certain users to view projects could increase the chances of inappropriate projects being shared on the website. ”Unlisted projects,” similar to a YouTube feature, will also not be implemented for the same reason; for more information, see this post. It could also be used for private messaging; for more information, see #8.1 on this list.

I know that this is a rejected suggestion. But I disagree with that forum & Community Guidelines.

I bet that I have more reasons on why things that said in my opinion piece should be implemented Scratch than Scratch Team has good reasons on why remixing should continue to be what it is like now. That’s exactly why I started this topic.
Anything shared on Scratch is covered by the CC BY-SA 2.0 (I think that's what it's called) license, meaning it is free to remix and edit to the community. If you don't want your projects to be remixed, don't share them.
plum_the_fox
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

the Community Guidelines state to embrace remixing
Community Guidelines says:
Embrace remix culture.
Remixing is when you build upon someone else’s projects, code, ideas, images, or anything else they share on Scratch to make your own unique creation.

Remixing is a great way to collaborate and connect with other Scratchers. You are encouraged to use anything you find on Scratch in your own creations, as long as you provide credit to everyone whose work you used and make a meaningful change to it. And when you share something on Scratch, you are giving permission to all Scratchers to use your work in their creations, too.
also not to mention if someone remixes it doesn't affect your project (changes they made and stuff) and when they see inside any changes are just for them and can't be saved, also this is a rejected suggestion (both)

Last edited by plum_the_fox (June 22, 2026 20:58:20)

DanielaScunk
Scratcher
100+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

Oh boy, another anti-remixing topic…
I know that this is a rejected suggestion. But I disagree with that forum & Community Guidelines.
If you're disagreeing with the Community Guidlines, you're walking on thin ice.

Because we can remix & see inside others projects, especially games, can easily be hacked or a user can easily cheat in the game. An example of hacking is making a project or game behave weirdly compared to how it is supposed to behave. An example of cheating is giving yourself 999,999 in-game currency, multiplying rewards or making a character move two times faster. I want scratchers to play the games or use the projects the right way and not by cheating/hacking.
I don't see how remixers harm anyone else if they just put their own spin on the game.

When you see inside someone else’s project, you can steal someone’s project easily by saving the file to your computer, not by remixing, and make it like it was all made by someone else & get more fame than the original one if they don’t want to give someone else credit. The project owner might not notice that the project has been stolen, or the community might never notice that this was originally someone else’s project.
Report any project that steals from another another. You can also report projects that don't give credit to the original.

In Scratch, there is a backpack feature at the bottom of the project editor. Not you can only backpack your own code, sprites, costumes, backdrops & sounds, but also others’ stuff. It is easy to take stuff from others & drop it to your own projects & not give credit. It is not only possible to steal entire projects, but also other assets.
Similar to my above statement. Report any projects that don't give credit.

When someone is backpacking stuff from others’ projects, the credit should be built into that asset. When dropped to your projects, the asset would automatically insert the original owner to the “Notes & Credits” box. This user can’t be removed (unless they delete the asset from their project) from the text field, forcing them to give credit.
In that case, you could make a new suggestion for that.

Let’s say that someone wants to remix a project that gets updates all the time. The original project would get a fresh new update while the remix stays in the old version. The project remixer either has to re-remix the original project & remake the changes of the remix or stay in the old version. This means that the original project would get more love because the newer versions offer more features & bugfixes.
And what's wrong with that? I barley see any instances of this.

I’d rather see inappropriate projects in Scratch as a normal projects rather than as a remixes. Inappropriate remixes are worse than inappropriate new projects, because whenever someone shares an inappropriate remix, the owner of the original project owner would get a message “ExampleUser remixed your project Untitled remix. Check out the remix!”, leading the owner to the inappropriate project. If a little kid would get this message, something bad would happen to them because of the remix. This means that someone can remix someone else’s projects just to harass or bully someone by hiding it from the mailbox.
Report inappropriate remixes just like you would with inappropriate projects.

When you share a project, everyone can remix a project, and most of them don’t ask a permission from the owner to remix. When you ask others not to remix a project as an owner, you’ll get alerted. According to the Community Guidelines, by showing others your project, you’re giving everyone right to remix. Some users who show their project, want to display it, but secretly doesn’t give the rights to remix. The project is getting lot of remixes and the project owner is secretly angry/sad/depressed or anything similar. If community chose to unshare their project to avoid getting remixes, there would be lot less visible projects, discouraging project displaying & Scratch will be a place to imagine & create, but not to share.
Well, not everyone has to use Scratch. They could share their creations to another webiste which doesn't put as much emphasis on remixing.






Last edited by DanielaScunk (June 22, 2026 20:41:40)

ChristianScratcher1
Scratcher
1000+ posts

Why remixing and seeing inside should be blocked for some projects?

As everyone else already said this is rejected.

One thing I don't think anyone else mentioned is that exact copies are reportable (saying this since you said you see a lot of exact copy remixes) If you see a remix that is an exact copy of the original, report it under “exact copy”

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