BY147258369 wrote:

What about all the people that gave you suggestions in the first place? It doesn't seem like you gave them credit for spending a ton of time to revise your guide.

WolfCat67 wrote:

BY147258369 wrote:

What about all the people that gave you suggestions in the first place? It doesn't seem like you gave them credit for spending a ton of time to revise your guide.

Oh yeah. Digital_Gaming, could you credit BY147258369 and Drunken_Sailor? It would only be fair.
Sorry I forgot, BY. My bad.

BY147258369 wrote:

WolfCat67 wrote:

BY147258369 wrote:

What about all the people that gave you suggestions in the first place? It doesn't seem like you gave them credit for spending a ton of time to revise your guide.

Oh yeah. Digital_Gaming, could you credit BY147258369 and Drunken_Sailor? It would only be fair.
Sorry I forgot, BY. My bad.

Wait, did you implement the suggestions we gave in your guide? I'm not sure if you did.

WolfCat67 wrote:

BY147258369 wrote:

WolfCat67 wrote:

BY147258369 wrote:

What about all the people that gave you suggestions in the first place? It doesn't seem like you gave them credit for spending a ton of time to revise your guide.

Oh yeah. Digital_Gaming, could you credit BY147258369 and Drunken_Sailor? It would only be fair.
Sorry I forgot, BY. My bad.

Wait, did you implement the suggestions we gave in your guide? I'm not sure if you did.

I implemented a few of them; I removed the self-advertising, reformatted the whole thing, and also fixed as many typos and reformed as many sentences as I could find.

WolfCat67 wrote:

Hey, Digital_Gaming, could you, under the “Community Guidelines” section, replace the link of “this topic” to be the actual community guidelines instead? https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/ I forgot to change that when editing.

Digital_Gaming wrote:

WolfCat67 wrote:

Hey, Digital_Gaming, could you, under the “Community Guidelines” section, replace the link of “this topic” to be the actual community guidelines instead? https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/ I forgot to change that when editing.

Changed it!

WolfCat67 wrote:

Digital_Gaming wrote:

WolfCat67 wrote:

Hey, Digital_Gaming, could you, under the “Community Guidelines” section, replace the link of “this topic” to be the actual community guidelines instead? https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/ I forgot to change that when editing.

Changed it!

No you didn't… You just made the whole community guidelines thing in bold. Please remove whatever bold tag you put there just now; it makes it look poorly formatted.
Also, remember to credit BY147258369 and Drunken_Sailor for their suggestions initially.

This is a guide that contains (almost) everything you need to know about Scratch in a brief form. Scratch is a very big site with lots of rules and just general facts to know. However, finding them can be a challenge, due to them being spread across multiple forums and topics. That's why I've searched both high and low to make the first “Super Guide” that combines everything you will ever need to know about Scratch into one easy-to-read helpful post. Hope you enjoy this!

————————————————————————————————————————–

SCRATCH GUIDELINES

The community guidelines are as follows:

We need everyone’s help to keep Scratch a friendly and creative community where people with different backgrounds and interests feel welcome.

Be respectful.
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

Be constructive.
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

Share.
You are free to remix projects, ideas, images, or anything else you find on Scratch – and anyone can use anything that you share. Be sure to give credit when you remix.

Keep personal info private.
For safety reasons, don't give out any information that could be used for private communication - such as real last names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, links to social media sites or websites with unmoderated chat.

Be honest.
Don’t try to impersonate other Scratchers, spread rumors, or otherwise try to trick the community.

Help keep the site friendly.
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let the Scratch Team know about it.

Scratch welcomes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

All the above information was gathered from the official Scratch Community Guidelines.

————————————————————————————————————————–

RANKS

When you first join, you will notice that you start out as a “New Scratcher”. This rank was put in place to prevent spammers, so you will have to meet certain requirements before the Scratch Team can verify that you actually are interested in the Scratch website. The way to get rid of this status is to be active in the community, share two projects, and have your account be two or more weeks old. After you've met those requirements, you'll soon get a message from the Scratch Team (ST) saying that you've been invited to become a Scratcher. Click the link shown on the alert to become a Scratcher.

Here is an explanation of the three main ranks on Scratch:

New Scratchers:

• They have the 120 second rule; this means they have to wait 120 seconds (2 minutes) between forum posts.
  
• They have to wait 30 seconds between comments.
  
• They are the only rank that cannot use Cloud Data.
  
• They cannot post the same comment three times in a row.
  
• They can only edit forum posts after the initial page load; revisiting the page will not allow edits.
  
• They can't post links to non-Scratch sites.
  

Scratchers:

• They have the 60 second rule; this means they have to wait 60 seconds (1 minute) between posts.
  
• They cannot post the same comment three times in a row.
  
• They can freely edit their own posts.
  
• They can close their own topics IF it has been up for more than 24 hours.
  
• They can use Cloud Data.
  

Scratch Team:
Please Note: This status is reserved only for moderators and people who work on the site. Normal users cannot gain this status.

• They can post as frequently as they want on the forums.
  
• They can post as many comments as they want.
  
• They can freely edit posts; both theirs and others'.
  
• They can close any topic, no matter how long it's been on the forums.
  
• They can use Cloud Data.
  
• They can feature projects.
  
• They can mark projects as NFE (Not For Everyone), FE (For Everyone), or remove them altogether.
  
• They can block and ban users.
  

Although not technically a rank, you can also become a wiki editor, a user that can edit the Scratch Wiki. You can find information on how to become one here.

————————————————————————————————————————–

FORUM ETIQUETTE

1. When suggesting something on the Suggestions forum, don't just put in a title and say “what do you think” in the message part of your topic. The title should provide a general idea of what your suggestion is. You should then go into more detail in your message part of your OP (Original Post/Poster).

2. When posting, try to keep it on-topic. However, correcting a user in a kind way while including something about the main topic, or making a joke related to the topic isn't off-topic as long as it's done in small amounts. Repeatedly doing so can be considered off-topic, or even spam.

3. If a topic has been resolved, let the OP or the ST decide if the post should be closed. You can get the ST to check it out by reporting it, but only after you're sure it's been resolved. Don't just report it instantly, because other people may have something to add that hasn't been said yet.

4. While saying “support” and “no support” to suggestions is fine, for the most part, remember to include a reason, regardless of whether or not you like the idea or don't support it. Keep in mind that the Scratch Team does not take the number of supports into consideration when viewing a suggestion, though.

5. Do your best to not post duplicate suggestions. You can check the Suggestions Directory to make sure that your topic isn't a duplicate. If you can't find it, but it still happens to be a duplicate, don't worry, you're not in trouble; it'll just simply be closed with a link to the other topic.

6. Don't be rude to other users. If you disagree with something, let the user know in a kind manner. Also, if a user keeps on doing something you don't like, politely telling them to stop on the forums should be fine, as long as you contribute more to the topic at hand. If they don't stop after that, let them know on their profile. If they still don't stop then, just report the posts and let the ST deal with it.

7. Use common sense. While something like this doesn't happen all too often, when it does, it can be annoying to some users. If someone were to bump a little too much, don't just make a post reminding them not to. Instead, you can politely remind them of that, as well as add more to the topic they were bumping in the first place. If you have nothing to contribute, you can remind them on their profile. Don't just point out other peoples' flaws; it's not very nice.

8. Don't spam. Spamming is annoying and against the Community Guidelines. You can even be banned from spamming in some cases. Just don't do it!

————————————————————————————————————————–

FAQ
Thank you to @alexphan for the FAQ layout!

HOW DO I MAKE A NEW TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
To make a new topic, simply go to the forum you want to post on, then click on the button that says “New Topic”. Then type in the title of your topic and the contents of the first post. Make sure that your post is in the correct forum. You can find out if your in the right forum by checking the stickies for what should be in that forum.

HOW DO I CLOSE A TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
If you want to close your topic, you have to wait 24 hours before you can close a topic. To close a topic by yourself, wait 24 hours, and then there should be a button below the message box that says “Close Topic”. Click on the button, and your topic will be closed. Alternatively, you can report the first post and ask the Scratch Team to close it for you.

HOW DO I RE-POEN MY TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
If you accidentally close your topic or you decide to revive an old topic, simply report the first post saying that you want to reopen your topic. The Scratch Team will then re-open the topic for you.

HOW DO I MAKE A SIGNATURE?
To make a signature, go to the Discuss homepage, then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. There, you will find a link that says “Change your signature”. Click on this, and type whatever you want. This will now appear underneath all your forum posts.

HOW DO I GET MY PROJECT FEATURED?
You can get your project featured by having someone propose your topic to be featured on this topic.
Thanks to @Paddle2See for the layout for this section!
The Scratch Team wants to feature new projects that have not gotten enough attention. The Scratch Team is looking for your help. At this point, they only want proposals from people who have full Scratcher accounts (not New Scratchers). Also, they do not want any proposals from family members.

Remember that proposing a project doesn't guarantee it will be featured; it just gives it a higher chance.

These are the kind of things they're looking for:
1. simple projects
2. complex projects
3. projects that show an innovative use of Scratch
4. project that promote collaboration and remixing
5. projects that show the diversity in our community (gender, age, culture, country, interests, etc)
6. project that different kinds of people would find enjoyable
7. projects that inspire

A project CANNOT be submitted if it…
1. was created by you. This means that you CANNOT submit your project.
2. was created by someone whose project(s) have been on the front page already in the last two months (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
3. has received more than 100 love its already.
4. has violence including weapons, hurting animals or people
5. contains language inappropriate for all ages
6. is a copy of a commercial game or story, it's OK if it is inspired by though
7. has been on the front page already (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
8. doesn't work well online

By the way, if you would like to suggest any studios for featuring, you can do that at the proposal topic too. too. Unlike project suggestions, you ARE allowed to suggest your own studios.

WHAT ARE STICKIES?
“Stickies” are forums that appear on the very top with a push pin icon next to it. Also, stickies cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

WHAT ARE ITOPICS?
“ITopics” are topics with helpful information, just like stickies. However, ITopics are only created when there are too many stickies in a forum. Usually topics that are ITopic-ed are former stickies that are linked to by stickies. Like stickies, ITopics cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOUD
Cloud variables are variables stored on the Scratch server. To make a cloud variable, go to the “Variables” section in your project and make a new variable. There should be a checkbox saying “Cloud Variable (stored on server)”. Click on it to make a it a cloud variable. If you don't see this checkbox, then you are a New Scratcher / not logged in, and unfortunately you cannot use the cloud.

Here's how the cloud works: If two people were viewing the project at the same time, and if the cloud variable was set to 2, both people would see the change.

You might also be wondering: “Why aren't there cloud lists?” There aren't cloud lists because there are some moderation issues, such as using them for chatrooms, as well as technical problems, as the servers cannot handle these. For now, you have to use a cloud variable to simulate a cloud list, or you can search one up.

WHAT IS “NECROPOSTING”?
Necroposting is posting something to a topic that has not been responded to for several months. Posting on an old topic is okay as long as you are adding relevant, new information to the topic, though, and as long as the owner is still active. On the Questions about Scratch forum, it's best to avoid posting on old topics as much as possible, as lots of people get their questions answered early on. You are unable to necropost on suggestions, though, as long as they haven't been rejected or implemented.

WHAT IS “BUMPING”?
If you see someone reply to a topic saying “bump”, they aren't spamming; they're bumping their topic. Bumping is basically “forum slang” for "Bring Up My Post". This means that when their topic doesn't get a lot of views / replies, they will say “bump” to bring it to the first page so more people are able to see it.

WHAT IS SPAM?
Spam is a post that is irrelevant to the topic at hand. Spam can apply to forum posts, comments, and even projects / studios. Spam is a reportable and bannable offense. There are different types of spam, and not just things like “aklsjdghiquhfnvka;nd;kv;biaerjfoierqjfnf”.


HOW DO I GET FEATURED CURATED?
However, getting curated means a selected Scratcher chooses your project to appear on the front page. A new curator is elected every week. Unlike featured projects, you can suggest your own project to be curated. Usually you can go to the curator's profile and look for an FPC project / studio where you can request to curate projects.

HOW DO I PROPOSE SOMEONE TO BE FEATURED / CURATED?
It's nice of you to suggest another Scratcher to appear on the front page! It's the exact same process for featuring and curating (see above). Nothing much else to do from there except hope that it does get featured / curated.

HOW DO I FIND A PROJECT / STUDIO?
To find a project or studio, simply use the search bar and type the name of the project or studio. Then you can use the “project” and “studio” filters. Alternatively, you can go to the URL bar, and go to scratch.mit.edu/projects/(project id) or scratch.mit.edu/studios/(studio id) You can also use Google and search:
“scratch” + (project name) + (user who made it )
or
“scratch” + (studio name).
You can even use “site:scratch.mit.edu” to only get results from the Scratch website.


HOW DO I FIND A USER / FORUM?
You may have noticed that you can't use the Scratch search bar to find users or forums. You can, in theory, search for users through the search bar by searching for one of their projects and finding their username. However, you must use Google to search for forum topics:
(name of topic) site:scratch.mit.edu/discuss. This also works for users, but remember to remove the “/discuss” at the end of the URL, or you'll only get forum results.


HOW DO I MAKE GAMES LIKE GRIFFPATCH?
First, griffpatch is an adult and a very advanced programmer, who pushes Scratch to its limits, like . However, it will take a lot of practice and dedication to code like him. It's good to start out slow. The Scratch built-in tutorials will help you. You can also go to someone's project and click “See Inside” to look in their scripts and learn from them. This is the best way to learn Scratch. Also Griffpatch isn't the only Scratcher who makes projects that push Scratch to the limit. You can find some of those projects here.

WHERE DO I POST MY TOPIC ON THE FORUMS?
That is a good question, considering there are a lot of forums on the website. Here's a quick rundown of all of the forums:

• Announcements: These are, well, announcements made by the Scratch Team. You can't post topics here, though.
  
• New Scratchers: This forum is for New Scratchers to come introduce themselves. If you are a Scratcher, there's not much point in making a topic here.
  
• Help with Scripts: This forum is for getting help with scripts in your project, like asking how to make something or fixing a bug in the project. This is commonly mixed up with the Bugs and Glitches forum, and sometimes the Questions about Scratch forum.
  
• Show and Tell: This forum is for showing off your project or studio for others to see. So far this forum has the most topics out of any forum.
  
• Project Ideas: This forum is for getting ideas for your next project. You can help others with ideas or ask for ideas. This is commonly mixed up with the Suggestions forum.
  
• Collaboration: This forum is for collaborating with other Scratchers on a big project. If you want to start a collaboration, post a topic there!
  
• Requests: This forum is for requesting for stuff such as logos, banners, scripts, BBCode, you name it.
  
• Questions About Scratch: This forum is for asking questions about Scratch in general, such as “what does favorite do?” or even “how many scratch projects are there?”
  
• Suggestions: This forum is for suggesting ideas that could improve Scratch. It used to be an entire site (if I'm correct) but it has been downgraded into a forum.
  
• Bugs and Glitches: This forum is for reporting bugs in the Scratch website or the Scratch editor. You can also report cloud data glitches.
  
• Advanced Topics: Also known as the ATs, this is for the more mature people that use programming languages other than Scratch. They do stuff like Coding Challenges, Scratch Mods, and much more.
  
• Connecting to the Physical World: This forum is for topics related to hardware that you can connect to Scratch (like the PicoBoard or the LEGO WeDo™)
  
• Developing Scratch Extensions: This forum is for getting help with Scratch extensions. An extension is a version of Scratch that has new blocks or features added by the user(s) who created it. There is also a site for Scratch extensions.
  
• Open Source Projects: This forum is for Scratch's open-source projects, where people can work on the Scratch website and the editor, and improving it as we speak.
  
• Things I'm Making and Creating: This forum is for talking about things that you are making outside of Scratch, such as art, music, programming, etc.
  
• Things I'm Reading and Playing: This forum is for talking about things that you are reading or playing, like books, TV shows, movies, or videogames.
  
• Scratch in Other Languages: If you have a foreign language, there are 17 languages to choose from! There is also topics that suggest languages to be added as forums, and for asking questions about translating Scratch.
  

PROJECT / STUDIO QUESTIONS
There are many questions about projects and studios. Many of them are answered in the Scratch Wiki. See this article for projects and this article for studios.

HOW CAN I GET TO THE SCRATCH TEAM?
If you want to work for the Scratch Team, you have to be at least 18 years old. You also, for some jobs, need to be at MIT.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BANNING / WHY SOMEONE WAS BANNED
A ban is a period of time when you cannot use Scratch. This may be because you broke the Community Guidelines or the Terms of Use. Bans can be as short as a week, or they can be permanent. You can learn more about bans here.

HELP WITH SCRIPTS
If you need help with a script in your project, you should ask in the Help With Scripts forum, instead of here.

COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS / REMIX QUESTIONS
For people asking about copyright issues, it is perfectly okay to use copyrighted material, because it is under Fair Use, according to the ToU. However, that's ONLY if your project is being used for an educational purpose. If you make a project strictly for, say, sharing a copyrighted song, it'll definitely get taken down, as Fair Use can't come into the equation there. If the owner of the copyright attempts to make a claim about your project, though, the Scratch Team will most likely take it down without a fight.
Also, every project is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. This means anybody can remix, even copy your project, as long as they credit you. You are able to report exact copies of your project. If you do not want people to remix your project, then don't share it.

If you are going to use sprites, costumes, scripts, sounds, or any other asset from another person's project, you are allowed to do this, but you must give credit to the user.

HOW DO I GET NOTICED?
The number one rule of getting well-known is patience. “Patience is a virtue”, some old guy once said, and it's true. If you cannot walk, you shouldn't expect to run overnight. When you are making a project, don't expect it to work the first time. You need patience and dedication if you want to succeed. You can get noticed by interacting with the community, as well. You can't expect for people to randomly search up your username if you've never talked to anyone on the website.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY USERNAME?
Unfortunately, you are not able to change your username.
It causes stress for the servers, and would confuse every user that's used to seeing your username. If you'd like to change it, though, make a new account with the different username, and transfer your projects over to that one.

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER ACCOUNTS
Since I am not a teacher, I don't know much about what teacher accounts are and what you can do with them. However, there are some really helpful pages including the Teacher Account FAQ, the Scratch For Educators page, and the Scratch Wiki page. You can use Contact Us to ask the Scratch Team for more information.

HOW DO I CHANGE THE THUMBNAIL OF MY PROJECT?
When you save your project, it will save whatever is on the stage at the current moment and will set the thumbnail to that. So to change your thumbnail, make your thumbnail show by using this script:

show
go to front
go to x: (0) y: (0)
set size to (100) % //this is optional
point in direction (90 v) //this is optional

Then, move a block or script (or click “Clean Up” by shift-clicking and selecting it and save the project. The thumbnail has now been changed.

A USER IS BEING MEAN TO ME! HELP?
If someone is bullying you on Scratch or another site on the internet, just report the comment and don't reply to them unless you're saying “Stop.” The main goal of bullies is to get a reaction out of you, so replying to their comment is encouraging them. Saying for them to “stop” is fine sometimes, but if you say something else like “Shut up! I don't see you doing any better!”, you could be the one that gets reported! So the best thing to do is just ignore the comment, report it, and move on with life.

WHAT IS NFE?
NFE stands for “Not For Everyone.” NFE projects are inappropriate, but your project will not be removed, instead it will not show up in the search or the front page.

Don't worry, if you get an NFE tag on your project, you're not in trouble. Your project just may not be suitable for certain people (like, for example, a game with jumpscares.) You should consider changing some things in your project so it is suitable for all audiences (for example, replacing a bullet gun with a Nerf® gun.) Projects with animated thumbnails and studios can also be marked as NFE, too.

WHY DOES MY PROJECT / STUDIO NOT SHOW ON SEARCH RESULTS?
It was most likely because it was marked as NFE (“Not For Everyone.”) You can learn more about this status above.

————————————————————————————————————————–

DICTIONARY / ABBREVIATIONS

AMV - Animated Music Video, a project with music that they add their own sprites, backgrounds, and scripts to in the form of a music video.
Alert - When a user is officially reported, the Scratch Team alerts them through their messages. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you're banned, but if you repeat to ignore these alerts, you will be banned eventually.
Appeal - An action a user may do to end a ban, requires a private notice NOT THROUGH THE FORUMS BUT THROUGH EMAIL.
Backpack - A tool that anyone can use to transfer most content from one project to another. (Read the Official Wiki for more information.)
Ban - When a user repeatedly fails to comply to the Community Guidelines, they will be punished by not being able to access the website, unless they appeal (read above or the Official Wiki).
BBCode - The type of formatting that the Scratch Forums support/use. (Read the Official Wiki for more information.)
Bump - When a forum is nearly reaching inactivity, you may post - or bump - to bring it back up. If it is older than a month, or irrelevant, then it is considered necroposting (read below). Also, do not bump twice a day or more, as it is considered spam.
CC - Coloring Contest, where a Scratcher creates a project in which other Scratchers may remix and color out.
Community Guidelines - A wonderful list of rules for the Scratch Community. Failure to comply to these rules will result in a warning (Alert through your Messages), and eventually a ban.
Character Limit - The maximum amount of characters (letters, numbers, or symbols) that may be used in a comment. The current limit is 500, and that could not be minimized nor expanded.
Cloud Variables - A special kind of variable that allows you to store data on a server, therefore allowing inter-computer actions such as multiplayer or high score-keeping. For more information on who New Scratchers are, read the term below or check out this Wiki article.
Curator (Studio) - A member of a studio that may add projects and remove themselves/their own projects, as well as add new curators. They cannot delete other members nor delete any other projects.
Curator (Front Page) - A weekly-selected member of the community that selects projects to be featured to the rest of the community.
Emoji/Emoticon (Comments) - In comments, you can type _meow_ and other things (mostly in underscores) to output special emojis. For more information, read this article.
Emoji/Emoticon (Forums) - As you can tell, _meow_ (or comment emojis) do not work on the forums. Instead, you could input special emoticons to put out what are called “Smileys.” Read more about so here, which is in the BBCode category (read above.)
FTFY - Online abbreviation for “Fixed That For You.”
Kumquat - A fruit that is now commonly referenced as a joke in the forums due to cheddargirl's (Scratch Team member) signature not working in 2.0 and her resorting to kumquats eating eating her signature instead. Read more about Forum Trends and most importantly the kumquats here.
MAP - Multi-Animator Project, an animation that is completed by more than one person.
Messages - A tab in which you are notified about actions such as comments, love//fave-its, remixes, and activity in studios/forums that you follow/own/curate/manage. Alerts (read above) also appear in here.
My Stuff - A tab in which you are shown your projects (shared and unshared) and delete them as long as you own them.
Necropost - When a user posts in a topic that is older than a month. This is frowned upon whenever such posts are irrelevant or unnecessary.
OP (Person) - Original Poster, the person who created the original post of the forum topic.
OP (Post) - Original Post, the post that started a forum topic and contained most crucial information that is relevant.
Remix - A user may copy a project, add their own touches, and then share it. Please add something/remove something and give credit. If you don't, it's reportable.
Report - When a user breaks a Scratch Guideline, they may be reported by another user (or caught by the ST) and the Scratch Team properly handles it.
Signature/Siggy - A message that automatically shows up below each post of a specific user. You can edit your own by going to “Change Signature” at the bottom of the Discuss homepage.
Scratcher - A popular rank on Scratch. As mentioned in New Scratcher above, you may be promoted by special circumstances (read above), and receive new perks which you may read here.
Scratch Team/ST - Moderators and developers of Scratch.
Scratch 1.4/S1.4 - The previous and now partially outdated version of Scratch. Scratch has moved on to Scratch 2.0 (read below.) For more information about Scratch 1.4, read here. If you'd like to download the Official S1.4 Offline Editor, go here. Do note that soon, presumably when S3.0 is released, the S1.4OE may not be available.
Scratch 1.4 Offline Editor/S1.4OE - Offline editor still supported that may be downloaded here.
Scratch 2.0/S2.0 - The current version of Scratch, the one you're using right now. Will become slightly outdated when S3.0 is released.
Scratch 2.0 Offline Editor/S2.0OE - Offline editor for Scratch 2.0 which may be downloaded here.
Scratch 3.0/S3.0 - Upcoming version of Scratch that is currently in development and set for a release of 2017.
Spam - When you repeat a useless/annoying message on a topic/studio/project/profile.
Studio - A gallery of projects of a certain type, or with no theme at all.
Subforum - A section of the Discuss part of the website that is designed to house topics related to that title.

————————————————————————————————————————–

Well, I hope that helped you know everything you needed to know about Scratch. If you have any suggestions for improving this post for the good of the Scratch community, just let me know.

Guide by @Digital_Gaming.
Edited by @WolfCat67.
Additions suggested by @BY147258369, @Drunken_Sailor, @WolfCat67 and @1a3c5e7g9i.

This is a guide that contains (almost) everything you need to know about Scratch in a brief form. Scratch is a very big site with lots of rules and just general facts to know. However, finding them can be a challenge, due to them being spread across multiple forums and topics. That's why I've searched both high and low to make the first "Super Guide" that combines everything you will ever need to know about Scratch into one easy-to-read helpful post.  Hope you enjoy this!  :)

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[color=red][center][big][b]SCRATCH GUIDELINES[/b][/big][/center][/color]
[b]The community guidelines are as follows:[/b]
[quote]
We need everyone’s help to keep Scratch a friendly and creative community where people with different backgrounds and interests feel welcome.

[b]Be respectful.[/b]
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

[b]Be constructive.[/b]
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

[b]Share.[/b]
You are free to remix projects, ideas, images, or anything else you find on Scratch – and anyone can use anything that you share. Be sure to give credit when you remix.

[b]Keep personal info private.[/b]
For safety reasons, don't give out any information that could be used for private communication - such as real last names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, links to social media sites or websites with unmoderated chat.

[b]Be honest.[/b]
Don’t try to impersonate other Scratchers, spread rumors, or otherwise try to trick the community.

[b]Help keep the site friendly.[/b]
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let the Scratch Team know about it.

Scratch welcomes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
[/quote]
All the above information was gathered from the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/]official Scratch Community Guidelines[/url].

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=blue][big][b]RANKS[/b][/big][/color][/center]
When you first join, you will notice that you start out as a "New Scratcher".  This rank was put in place to prevent spammers, so you will have to meet certain requirements before the Scratch Team can verify that you actually are interested in the Scratch website. The way to get rid of this status is to be active in the community, share two projects, and have your account be two or more weeks old.  After you've met those requirements, you'll soon get a message from the Scratch Team (ST) saying that you've been invited to become a Scratcher. Click the link shown on the alert to become a Scratcher.

[b]Here is an explanation of the three main ranks on Scratch:[/b]
[quote]
[b]New Scratchers:[/b]
[list]
[*]They have the 120 second rule; this means they have to wait 120 seconds (2 minutes) between forum posts.
[*]They have to wait 30 seconds between comments.
[*]They are the only rank that cannot use Cloud Data.
[*]They cannot post the same comment three times in a row. 
[*]They can only edit forum posts after the initial page load; revisiting the page will not allow edits.
[*]They can't post links to non-Scratch sites.
[/list]
[b]Scratchers:[/b]
[list]
[*]They have the 60 second rule; this means they have to wait 60 seconds (1 minute) between posts.
[*]They cannot post the same comment three times in a row. 
[*]They can freely edit their own posts.
[*]They can close their own topics IF it has been up for more than 24 hours.
[*]They can use Cloud Data.
[/list]
[b]Scratch Team:[/b]
[small][I]Please Note:[/I] This status is reserved only for moderators and people who work on the site.  Normal users cannot gain this status.[/small]
[list]
[*]They can post as frequently as they want on the forums.
[*]They can post as many comments as they want.
[*]They can freely edit posts; both theirs and others'.
[*]They can close any topic, no matter how long it's been on the forums.
[*]They can use Cloud Data.
[*]They can feature projects.
[*]They can mark projects as NFE (Not For Everyone), FE (For Everyone), or remove them altogether.
[*]They can block and ban users.
[/list]
[/quote]
Although not technically a rank, you can also become a wiki editor, a user that can edit the [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/]Scratch Wiki[/url].  You can find information on how to become one [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Contribute_to_the_Scratch_Wiki]here[/url].

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=green][b][big]FORUM ETIQUETTE[/big][/b][/color][/center]

[b]1.[/b] When suggesting something on the Suggestions forum, don't just put in a title and say "what do you think" in the message part of your topic. The title should provide a general idea of what your suggestion is. You should then go into more detail in your message part of your OP (Original Post/Poster).

[b]2.[/b] When posting, try to keep it on-topic. However, correcting a user in a kind way while including something about the main topic, or making a joke related to the topic isn't off-topic as long as it's done in small amounts.  Repeatedly doing so can be considered off-topic, or even spam. 

[b]3.[/b] If a topic has been resolved, let the OP or the ST decide if the post should be closed.  You can get the ST to check it out by reporting it, but only after you're sure it's been resolved.  Don't just report it instantly, because other people may have something to add that hasn't been said yet. 

[b]4.[/b] While saying "support" and "no support" to suggestions is fine, for the most part, remember to include a reason, regardless of whether or not you like the idea or don't support it.  Keep in mind that the Scratch Team does not take the number of supports into consideration when viewing a suggestion, though.

[b]5.[/b]  Do your best to not post duplicate suggestions.  You can check the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/212472/]Suggestions Directory[/url] to make sure that your topic isn't a duplicate.  If you can't find it, but it still happens to be a duplicate, don't worry, you're not in trouble; it'll just simply be closed with a link to the other topic.

[b]6.[/b] Don't be rude to other users. If you disagree with something, let the user know in a kind manner. Also, if a user keeps on doing something you don't like, politely telling them to stop on the forums should be fine, as long as you contribute more to the topic at hand. If they don't stop after that, let them know on their profile. If they still don't stop then, just report the posts and let the ST deal with it.

[b]7.[/b] Use common sense.  While something like this doesn't happen all too often, when it does, it can be annoying to some users.  If someone were to bump a little too much, don't just make a post reminding them not to.  Instead, you can politely remind them of that, as well as add more to the topic they were bumping in the first place.  If you have nothing to contribute, you can remind them on their profile.  Don't just point out other peoples' flaws; it's not very nice.

[b]8.[/b] Don't spam.  Spamming is annoying and against the Community Guidelines.  You can even be banned from spamming in some cases.  Just don't do it!

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=purple][big][b]FAQ[/b][/big][/color]
Thank you to [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/alexphan/]@alexphan[/url] for the FAQ layout![/center]
[quote]
[b]HOW DO I MAKE A NEW TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
To make a new topic, simply go to the forum you want to post on, then click on the button that says “New Topic”. Then type in the title of your topic and the contents of the first post. Make sure that your post is in the correct forum. You can find out if your in the right forum by checking the stickies for what should be in that forum. 

[b]HOW DO I CLOSE A TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
If you want to close your topic, you have to wait 24 hours before you can close a topic. To close a topic by yourself, wait 24 hours, and then there should be a button below the message box that says “Close Topic”. Click on the button, and your topic will be closed. Alternatively, you can report the first post and ask the Scratch Team to close it for you.

[b]HOW DO I RE-POEN MY TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
If you accidentally close your topic or you decide to revive an old topic, simply report the first post saying that you want to reopen your topic. The Scratch Team will then re-open the topic for you.

[b]HOW DO I MAKE A SIGNATURE?[/b]
To make a signature, go to the Discuss homepage, then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page.  There, you will find a link that says "Change your signature".  Click on this, and type whatever you want.  This will now appear underneath all your forum posts.

[b]HOW DO I GET MY PROJECT FEATURED?[/b]
You can get your project featured by having someone propose your topic to be featured on [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/245007/]this topic[/url].
[small]Thanks to [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Paddle2See/]@Paddle2See[/url] for the layout for this section![/small]
The Scratch Team wants to feature new projects that have not gotten enough attention. The Scratch Team is looking for your help. At this point, they only want proposals from people who have full Scratcher accounts (not New Scratchers).  Also, they do not want any proposals from family members.

Remember that proposing a project doesn't guarantee it will be featured; it just gives it a higher chance.

These are the kind of things they're looking for:
1. simple projects
2. complex projects
3. projects that show an innovative use of Scratch
4. project that promote collaboration and remixing
5. projects that show the diversity in our community (gender, age, culture, country, interests, etc)
6. project that different kinds of people would find enjoyable
7. projects that inspire

A project CANNOT be submitted if it…
1. was created by you. This means that you CANNOT submit your project.
2. was created by someone whose project(s) have been  on the front page already in the last two months (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
3. has received more than 100 love its already.
4. has violence including weapons, hurting animals or people
5. contains language inappropriate for all ages
6. is a copy of a commercial game or story, it's OK if it is inspired by though
7. has been on the front page already (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
8. doesn't work well online

By the way, if you would like to suggest any studios for featuring, you can do that at the proposal topic too. too.  Unlike project suggestions, you ARE allowed to suggest your own studios.

[b]WHAT ARE STICKIES?[/b]
“Stickies” are forums that appear on the very top with a push pin icon next to it.  Also, stickies cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

[b]WHAT ARE ITOPICS?[/b]
“ITopics” are topics with helpful information, just like stickies. However, ITopics are only created when there are too many stickies in a forum. Usually topics that are ITopic-ed are former stickies that are linked to by stickies. Like stickies, ITopics cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOUD[/b]
Cloud variables are variables stored on the Scratch server. To make a cloud variable, go to the “Variables” section in your project and make a new variable. There should be a checkbox saying “Cloud Variable (stored on server)”. Click on it to make a it a cloud variable. If you don't see this checkbox, then you are a New Scratcher / not logged in, and unfortunately you cannot use the cloud.

Here's how the cloud works: If two people were viewing the project at the same time, and if the cloud variable was set to 2, both people would see the change.

You might also be wondering: “Why aren't there cloud lists?” There aren't cloud lists because there are some moderation issues, such as using them for chatrooms, as well as technical problems, as the servers cannot handle these. For now, you have to use a cloud variable to simulate a cloud list, or you can search one up.

[b]WHAT IS "NECROPOSTING"?[/b]
Necroposting is posting something to a topic that has not been responded to for several months. Posting on an old topic is okay as long as you are adding relevant, new information to the topic, though, and as long as the owner is still active.  On the Questions about Scratch forum, it's best to avoid posting on old topics as much as possible, as lots of people get their questions answered early on.  You are unable to necropost on suggestions, though, as long as they haven't been rejected or implemented.

[b]WHAT IS "BUMPING"?[/b]
If you see someone reply to a topic saying “bump”, they aren't spamming; they're bumping their topic. Bumping is basically “forum slang” for "[u]B[/u]ring [u]U[/u]p [u]M[/u]y [u]P[/u]ost". This means that when their topic doesn't get a lot of views / replies, they will say “bump” to bring it to the first page so more people are able to see it. 

[b]WHAT IS SPAM?[/b]
Spam is a post that is irrelevant to the topic at hand. Spam can apply to forum posts, comments, and even projects / studios. Spam is a reportable and bannable offense. There are different types of spam, and not just things like "aklsjdghiquhfnvka;nd;kv;biaerjfoierqjfnf".


[b]HOW DO I GET FEATURED CURATED?[/b]
However, getting curated means a selected Scratcher chooses your project to appear on the front page. A new curator is elected every week. Unlike featured projects, you can suggest your own project to be curated.  Usually you can go to the curator's profile and look for an FPC project / studio where you can request to curate projects.

[b]HOW DO I PROPOSE SOMEONE TO BE FEATURED / CURATED?[/b]
It's nice of you to suggest another Scratcher to appear on the front page!  It's the exact same process for featuring and curating (see above). Nothing much else to do from there except hope that it does get featured / curated.

[b]HOW DO I FIND A PROJECT / STUDIO?[/b]
To find a project or studio, simply use the search bar and type the name of the project or studio. Then you can use the “project” and “studio” filters.  Alternatively, you can go to the URL bar, and go to scratch.mit.edu/projects/(project id) or scratch.mit.edu/studios/(studio id) You can also use Google and search:
“scratch” + (project name) + (user who made it )
or 
“scratch” + (studio name).
You can even use "site:scratch.mit.edu" to only get results from the Scratch website.


HOW DO I FIND A USER / FORUM?
You may have noticed that you can't use the Scratch search bar to find users or forums. You can, in theory, search for users through the search bar by searching for one of their projects and finding their username. However, you must use Google to search for forum topics:
(name of topic) site:scratch.mit.edu/discuss.  This also works for users, but remember to remove the "/discuss" at the end of the URL, or you'll only get forum results.


[b]HOW DO I MAKE GAMES LIKE GRIFFPATCH?[/b]
First, griffpatch is an adult and a very advanced programmer, who pushes Scratch to its limits, like . However, it will take a lot of practice and dedication to code like him. It's good to start out slow. The Scratch built-in tutorials will help you. You can also go to someone's project and click “See Inside” to look in their scripts and learn from them. This is the best way to learn Scratch. Also Griffpatch isn't the only Scratcher who makes projects that push Scratch to the limit. You can find some of those projects [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/2964365/projects/]here[/url].

[b]WHERE DO I POST MY TOPIC ON THE FORUMS?[/b]
That is a good question, considering there are a lot of forums on the website. Here's a quick rundown of all of the forums:
[list]
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/5/]Announcements[/url]: These are, well, announcements made by the Scratch Team. You can't post topics here, though.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/6/]New Scratchers[/url]: This forum is for New Scratchers to come introduce themselves. If you are a Scratcher, there's not much point in making a topic here.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/7/]Help with Scripts[/url]: This forum is for getting help with scripts in your project, like asking how to make something or fixing a bug in the project. This is commonly mixed up with the Bugs and Glitches forum, and sometimes the Questions about Scratch forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/8/]Show and Tell[/url]: This forum is for showing off your project or studio for others to see. So far this forum has the most topics out of any forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/9/]Project Ideas[/url]: This forum is for getting ideas for your next project. You can help others with ideas or ask for ideas. This is commonly mixed up with the Suggestions forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/10/]Collaboration[/url]: This forum is for collaborating with other Scratchers on a big project. If you want to start a collaboration, post a topic there!
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/11/]Requests[/url]:  This forum is for requesting for stuff such as logos, banners, scripts, BBCode, you name it.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/4/]Questions About Scratch[/url]: This forum is for asking questions about Scratch in general, such as “what does favorite do?” or even “how many scratch projects are there?”
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/1/]Suggestions[/url]: This forum is for suggesting ideas that could improve Scratch. It used to be an entire site (if I'm correct) but it has been downgraded into a forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/3/]Bugs and Glitches[/url]: This forum is for reporting bugs in the Scratch website or the Scratch editor. You can also report cloud data glitches.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/31/]Advanced Topics[/url]: Also known as the ATs, this is for the more mature people that use programming languages other than Scratch. They do stuff like Coding Challenges, Scratch Mods, and much more.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/32/]Connecting to the Physical World[/url]: This forum is for topics related to hardware that you can connect to Scratch (like the PicoBoard or the LEGO WeDo™)
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/48/]Developing Scratch Extensions[/url]: This forum is for getting help with Scratch extensions. An extension is a version of Scratch that has new blocks or features added by the user(s) who created it. There is also a site for Scratch extensions.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/49/] Open Source Projects[/url]: This forum is for Scratch's open-source projects, where people can work on the Scratch website and the editor, and improving it as we speak.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/29/]Things I'm Making and Creating[/url]: This forum is for talking about things that you are making outside of Scratch, such as art, music, programming, etc.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/30/]Things I'm Reading and Playing[/url]: This forum is for talking about things that you are reading or playing, like books, TV shows, movies, or videogames.
[*][/url] Scratch in Other Languages[/url]: If you have a foreign language, there are 17 languages to choose from!   There is also topics that suggest languages to be added as forums, and for asking questions about translating Scratch.
[/list]

[b]PROJECT / STUDIO QUESTIONS[/b]
There are many questions about projects and studios. Many of them are answered in the Scratch Wiki.  See [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Project/]this article[/url] for projects and [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Studio/]this article[/url] for studios.[/url]

[b]HOW CAN I GET TO THE SCRATCH TEAM?[/b]
If you want to work for the Scratch Team, you have to be at least 18 years old. You also, for some jobs, need to be at MIT.

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT BANNING / WHY SOMEONE WAS BANNED[/b]
A ban is a period of time when you cannot use Scratch. This may be because you broke the Community Guidelines or the Terms of Use. Bans can be as short as a week, or they can be permanent. [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Ban]You can learn more about bans here.[/url]

[b]HELP WITH SCRIPTS[/b]
If you need help with a script in your project, you should ask in the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/7]Help With Scripts forum[/url], instead of here.

[b]COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS / REMIX QUESTIONS[/b]
For people asking about copyright issues, it is perfectly okay to use copyrighted material, because it is under Fair Use, according to the ToU.  However, that's ONLY if your project is being used for an educational purpose.  If you make a project strictly for, say, sharing a copyrighted song, it'll definitely get taken down, as Fair Use can't come into the equation there.  If the owner of the copyright attempts to make a claim about your project, though, the Scratch Team will most likely take it down without a fight.
Also, every project is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. This means anybody can remix, even copy your project, as long as they credit you. You are able to report [u]exact[/u] copies of your project. [u]If you do not want people to remix your project, then don't share it.[/u]

If you are going to use sprites, costumes, scripts, sounds, or any other asset from another person's project, you are allowed to do this, but you must give credit to the user.

[b]HOW DO I GET NOTICED?[/b]
The number one rule of getting well-known is patience.  “Patience is a virtue”, some old guy once said, and it's true. If you cannot walk, you shouldn't expect to run overnight. When you are making a project, don't expect it to work the first time. You need patience and dedication if you want to succeed.  You can get noticed by interacting with the community, as well.  You can't expect for people to randomly search up your username if you've never talked to anyone on the website.

[b]HOW DO I CHANGE MY USERNAME?[/b]
Unfortunately, you are not able to change your username.
It causes stress for the servers, and would confuse every user that's used to seeing your username.  If you'd like to change it, though, make a new account with the different username, and transfer your projects over to that one.

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER ACCOUNTS[/b]
Since I am not a teacher, I don't know much about what teacher accounts are and what you can do with them. However, there are some really helpful pages including the Teacher Account FAQ, [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/educators/]the Scratch For Educators page[/url], and the Scratch Wiki page. You can use Contact Us to ask the Scratch Team for more information.

[b]HOW DO I CHANGE THE THUMBNAIL OF MY PROJECT?[/b]
When you save your project, it will save whatever is on the stage at the current moment and will set the thumbnail to that. So to change your thumbnail, make your thumbnail show by using this script:

[scratchblocks]
show
go to front
go to x: (0) y: (0)
set size to (100) % //this is optional
point in direction (90 v) //this is optional
[/scratchblocks]

Then, move a block or script (or click "Clean Up" by shift-clicking and selecting it and save the project. The thumbnail has now been changed.

[b]A USER IS BEING MEAN TO ME! HELP?[/b]
If someone is bullying you on Scratch or another site on the internet, just report the comment and don't reply to them unless you're saying “Stop.” The main goal of bullies is to get a reaction out of you, so replying to their comment is encouraging them. Saying for them to “stop” is fine sometimes, but if you say something else like “Shut up! I don't see you doing any better!”, you could be the one that gets reported! So the best thing to do is just ignore the comment, report it, and move on with life.

[b]WHAT IS NFE?[/b]
NFE stands for “Not For Everyone.” NFE projects are inappropriate, but your project will not be removed, instead it will not show up in the search or the front page.

Don't worry, if you get an NFE tag on your project, you're not in trouble. Your project just may not be suitable for certain people (like, for example, a game with jumpscares.) You should consider changing some things in your project so it is suitable for all audiences (for example, replacing a bullet gun with a Nerf® gun.) Projects with animated thumbnails and studios can also be marked as NFE, too.

[b]WHY DOES MY PROJECT / STUDIO NOT SHOW ON SEARCH RESULTS?[/b]
It was most likely because it was marked as NFE (“Not For Everyone.”) You can learn more about this status above.
[/quote]

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][big][b][color=orange]DICTIONARY / ABBREVIATIONS[/color][/b][/big][/center]
[quote]
[b]AMV[/b] - [b]Animated Music Video[/b], a project with music that they add their own sprites, backgrounds, and scripts to in the form of a music video.
[b]Alert[/b] - When a user is officially reported, the Scratch Team alerts them through their messages. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you're banned, but if you repeat to ignore these alerts, you will be banned eventually.
[b]Appeal[/b] - An action a user may do to end a ban, requires a private notice [b]NOT THROUGH THE FORUMS BUT THROUGH EMAIL[/b].
[b]Backpack[/b] - A tool that anyone can use to transfer most content from one project to another. (Read the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Backpack]Official Wiki[/url] for more information.)
[b]Ban[/b] - When a user repeatedly fails to comply to the Community Guidelines, they will be punished by not being able to access the website, unless they appeal (read above or the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Ban]Official Wiki[/url]).
[b]BBCode[/b] - The type of formatting that the Scratch Forums support/use. (Read the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/BBCode]Official Wiki[/url] for more information.)
[b]Bump[/b] - When a forum is nearly reaching inactivity, you may post - or bump - to bring it back up. If it is older than a month, or irrelevant, then it is considered [i]necroposting[/i] (read below). Also, [b]do not bump twice a day or more, as it is considered spam.[/b]
[b]CC[/b] - Coloring Contest, where a Scratcher creates a project in which other Scratchers may remix and color out.
[b][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/]Community Guidelines[/url][/b] - A wonderful list of rules for the Scratch Community. Failure to comply to these rules will result in a warning (Alert through your Messages), and eventually a ban.
[b]Character Limit[/b] - The maximum amount of characters (letters, numbers, or symbols) that may be used in a comment. The current limit is 500, and that could not be minimized nor expanded.
[b]Cloud Variables[/b] - A special kind of variable that allows you to store data on a server, therefore allowing inter-computer actions such as multiplayer or high score-keeping. For more information on who New Scratchers are, read the term below or check out this [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/New_Scratchers]Wiki article[/url].
[b]Curator (Studio)[/b] - A member of a studio that may add projects and remove themselves/their own projects, as well as add new curators. They cannot delete other members nor delete any other projects.
[b]Curator (Front Page)[/b] - A weekly-selected member of the community that selects projects to be featured to the rest of the community.
[b]Emoji/Emoticon (Comments)[/b] - In comments, you can type _meow_ and other things (mostly in underscores) to output special emojis. For more information, read this [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_Emoji]article[/url].
[b]Emoji/Emoticon (Forums)[/b] - As you can tell, _meow_ (or comment emojis) do not work on the forums. Instead, you could input special emoticons to put out what are called "Smileys." Read more about so [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/BBCode#Smilies]here[/url], which is in the BBCode category (read above.)
[b]FTFY[/b] - Online abbreviation for "Fixed That For You."
[b]Kumquat[/b] - A fruit that is now commonly referenced as a joke in the forums due to cheddargirl's (Scratch Team member) signature not working in 2.0 and her resorting to kumquats eating eating her signature instead. Read more about Forum Trends and most importantly the kumquats [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Kumquat#Evil_Kumquat]here[/url].
[b]MAP[/b] - Multi-Animator Project, an animation that is completed by more than one person.
[b]Messages[/b] - A tab in which you are notified about actions such as comments, love//fave-its, remixes, and activity in studios/forums that you follow/own/curate/manage. Alerts (read above) also appear in here.
[b]My Stuff[/b] - A tab in which you are shown your projects (shared and unshared) and delete them as long as you own them.
[b]Necropost[/b] - When a user posts in a topic that is older than a month. This is frowned upon whenever such posts are irrelevant or unnecessary.
[b]OP (Person)[/b] - Original Poster, the person who created the original post of the forum topic.
[b]OP (Post)[/b] - Original Post, the post that started a forum topic and contained most crucial information that is relevant.
[b]Remix[/b] - A user may copy a project, add their own touches, and then share it. Please add something/remove something and give credit. If you don't, it's [b]reportable.[/b]
[b]Report[/b] - When a user breaks a Scratch Guideline, they may be reported by another user (or caught by the ST) and the Scratch Team properly handles it.
[b]Signature/Siggy[/b] - A message that automatically shows up below each post of a specific user. You can edit [i]your own[/i] by going to "Change Signature" at the bottom of the Discuss homepage.
[b]Scratcher[/b] - A popular rank on Scratch. As mentioned in [i]New Scratcher[/i] above, you may be promoted by special circumstances (read above), and receive new perks which you may read [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/11860/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch Team/ST[/b] - Moderators and developers of Scratch.
[b]Scratch 1.4/S1.4[/b] - The previous and now partially outdated version of Scratch. Scratch has moved on to Scratch 2.0 (read below.) For more information about Scratch 1.4, read [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_1.4]here[/url]. If you'd like to download the Official S1.4 Offline Editor, go [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch_1.4/]here[/url]. Do note that soon, presumably when S3.0 is released, the S1.4OE may not be available.
[b]Scratch 1.4 Offline Editor/S1.4OE[/b] - Offline editor still supported that may be downloaded [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch_1.4/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch 2.0/S2.0[/b] - The current version of Scratch, the one you're using right now. Will become slightly outdated when S3.0 is released.
[b]Scratch 2.0 Offline Editor/S2.0OE[/b] - Offline editor for Scratch 2.0 which may be downloaded [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch2download/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch 3.0/S3.0[/b] - Upcoming version of Scratch that is currently in development and set for a release of 2017.
[b]Spam[/b] - When you repeat a useless/annoying message on a topic/studio/project/profile.
[b]Studio[/b] - A gallery of projects of a certain type, or with no theme at all.
[b]Subforum[/b] - A section of the Discuss part of the website that is designed to house topics related to that title.
[/quote]

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
Well, I hope that helped you know everything you needed to know about Scratch. If you have any suggestions for improving this post for the good of the Scratch community, just let me know.

[small]Guide by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Digital_Gaming/]@Digital_Gaming[/url].
Edited by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/WolfCat67/]@WolfCat67[/url].
Additions suggested by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/BY147258369/]@BY147258369[/url], [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Drunken_Sailor/]@Drunken_Sailor[/url], [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/WolfCat67/]@WolfCat67[/url] and [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/1a3c5e7g9i/]@1a3c5e7g9i[/url].[/small]

WolfCat67 wrote:

Here, I've made a new version correctly crediting them and also correctly fixing up the community guidelines. Do not edit it any further! It should be good as it is. Also, don't forget to remove the “DIGITAL_GAMING” from the title; you already have credit for it, in the creator, the bottom, etc.

This is a guide that contains (almost) everything you need to know about Scratch in a brief form. Scratch is a very big site with lots of rules and just general facts to know. However, finding them can be a challenge, due to them being spread across multiple forums and topics. That's why I've searched both high and low to make the first “Super Guide” that combines everything you will ever need to know about Scratch into one easy-to-read helpful post. Hope you enjoy this!

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SCRATCH GUIDELINES

The community guidelines are as follows:

We need everyone’s help to keep Scratch a friendly and creative community where people with different backgrounds and interests feel welcome.

Be respectful.
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

Be constructive.
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

Share.
You are free to remix projects, ideas, images, or anything else you find on Scratch – and anyone can use anything that you share. Be sure to give credit when you remix.

Keep personal info private.
For safety reasons, don't give out any information that could be used for private communication - such as real last names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, links to social media sites or websites with unmoderated chat.

Be honest.
Don’t try to impersonate other Scratchers, spread rumors, or otherwise try to trick the community.

Help keep the site friendly.
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let the Scratch Team know about it.

Scratch welcomes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

All the above information was gathered from the official Scratch Community Guidelines.

————————————————————————————————————————–

RANKS

When you first join, you will notice that you start out as a “New Scratcher”. This rank was put in place to prevent spammers, so you will have to meet certain requirements before the Scratch Team can verify that you actually are interested in the Scratch website. The way to get rid of this status is to be active in the community, share two projects, and have your account be two or more weeks old. After you've met those requirements, you'll soon get a message from the Scratch Team (ST) saying that you've been invited to become a Scratcher. Click the link shown on the alert to become a Scratcher.

Here is an explanation of the three main ranks on Scratch:

New Scratchers:

• They have the 120 second rule; this means they have to wait 120 seconds (2 minutes) between forum posts.
  
• They have to wait 30 seconds between comments.
  
• They are the only rank that cannot use Cloud Data.
  
• They cannot post the same comment three times in a row.
  
• They can only edit forum posts after the initial page load; revisiting the page will not allow edits.
  
• They can't post links to non-Scratch sites.
  

Scratchers:

• They have the 60 second rule; this means they have to wait 60 seconds (1 minute) between posts.
  
• They cannot post the same comment three times in a row.
  
• They can freely edit their own posts.
  
• They can close their own topics IF it has been up for more than 24 hours.
  
• They can use Cloud Data.
  

Scratch Team:
Please Note: This status is reserved only for moderators and people who work on the site. Normal users cannot gain this status.

• They can post as frequently as they want on the forums.
  
• They can post as many comments as they want.
  
• They can freely edit posts; both theirs and others'.
  
• They can close any topic, no matter how long it's been on the forums.
  
• They can use Cloud Data.
  
• They can feature projects.
  
• They can mark projects as NFE (Not For Everyone), FE (For Everyone), or remove them altogether.
  
• They can block and ban users.
  

Although not technically a rank, you can also become a wiki editor, a user that can edit the Scratch Wiki. You can find information on how to become one here.

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FORUM ETIQUETTE

1. When suggesting something on the Suggestions forum, don't just put in a title and say “what do you think” in the message part of your topic. The title should provide a general idea of what your suggestion is. You should then go into more detail in your message part of your OP (Original Post/Poster).

2. When posting, try to keep it on-topic. However, correcting a user in a kind way while including something about the main topic, or making a joke related to the topic isn't off-topic as long as it's done in small amounts. Repeatedly doing so can be considered off-topic, or even spam.

3. If a topic has been resolved, let the OP or the ST decide if the post should be closed. You can get the ST to check it out by reporting it, but only after you're sure it's been resolved. Don't just report it instantly, because other people may have something to add that hasn't been said yet.

4. While saying “support” and “no support” to suggestions is fine, for the most part, remember to include a reason, regardless of whether or not you like the idea or don't support it. Keep in mind that the Scratch Team does not take the number of supports into consideration when viewing a suggestion, though.

5. Do your best to not post duplicate suggestions. You can check the Suggestions Directory to make sure that your topic isn't a duplicate. If you can't find it, but it still happens to be a duplicate, don't worry, you're not in trouble; it'll just simply be closed with a link to the other topic.

6. Don't be rude to other users. If you disagree with something, let the user know in a kind manner. Also, if a user keeps on doing something you don't like, politely telling them to stop on the forums should be fine, as long as you contribute more to the topic at hand. If they don't stop after that, let them know on their profile. If they still don't stop then, just report the posts and let the ST deal with it.

7. Use common sense. While something like this doesn't happen all too often, when it does, it can be annoying to some users. If someone were to bump a little too much, don't just make a post reminding them not to. Instead, you can politely remind them of that, as well as add more to the topic they were bumping in the first place. If you have nothing to contribute, you can remind them on their profile. Don't just point out other peoples' flaws; it's not very nice.

8. Don't spam. Spamming is annoying and against the Community Guidelines. You can even be banned from spamming in some cases. Just don't do it!

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FAQ
Thank you to @alexphan for the FAQ layout!

HOW DO I MAKE A NEW TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
To make a new topic, simply go to the forum you want to post on, then click on the button that says “New Topic”. Then type in the title of your topic and the contents of the first post. Make sure that your post is in the correct forum. You can find out if your in the right forum by checking the stickies for what should be in that forum.
Very nicee
HOW DO I CLOSE A TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
If you want to close your topic, you have to wait 24 hours before you can close a topic. To close a topic by yourself, wait 24 hours, and then there should be a button below the message box that says “Close Topic”. Click on the button, and your topic will be closed. Alternatively, you can report the first post and ask the Scratch Team to close it for you.

HOW DO I RE-POEN MY TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?
If you accidentally close your topic or you decide to revive an old topic, simply report the first post saying that you want to reopen your topic. The Scratch Team will then re-open the topic for you.

HOW DO I MAKE A SIGNATURE?
To make a signature, go to the Discuss homepage, then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. There, you will find a link that says “Change your signature”. Click on this, and type whatever you want. This will now appear underneath all your forum posts.

HOW DO I GET MY PROJECT FEATURED?
You can get your project featured by having someone propose your topic to be featured on this topic.
Thanks to @Paddle2See for the layout for this section!
The Scratch Team wants to feature new projects that have not gotten enough attention. The Scratch Team is looking for your help. At this point, they only want proposals from people who have full Scratcher accounts (not New Scratchers). Also, they do not want any proposals from family members.

Remember that proposing a project doesn't guarantee it will be featured; it just gives it a higher chance.

These are the kind of things they're looking for:
1. simple projects
2. complex projects
3. projects that show an innovative use of Scratch
4. project that promote collaboration and remixing
5. projects that show the diversity in our community (gender, age, culture, country, interests, etc)
6. project that different kinds of people would find enjoyable
7. projects that inspire

A project CANNOT be submitted if it…
1. was created by you. This means that you CANNOT submit your project.
2. was created by someone whose project(s) have been on the front page already in the last two months (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
3. has received more than 100 love its already.
4. has violence including weapons, hurting animals or people
5. contains language inappropriate for all ages
6. is a copy of a commercial game or story, it's OK if it is inspired by though
7. has been on the front page already (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
8. doesn't work well online

By the way, if you would like to suggest any studios for featuring, you can do that at the proposal topic too. too. Unlike project suggestions, you ARE allowed to suggest your own studios.

WHAT ARE STICKIES?
“Stickies” are forums that appear on the very top with a push pin icon next to it. Also, stickies cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

WHAT ARE ITOPICS?
“ITopics” are topics with helpful information, just like stickies. However, ITopics are only created when there are too many stickies in a forum. Usually topics that are ITopic-ed are former stickies that are linked to by stickies. Like stickies, ITopics cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOUD
Cloud variables are variables stored on the Scratch server. To make a cloud variable, go to the “Variables” section in your project and make a new variable. There should be a checkbox saying “Cloud Variable (stored on server)”. Click on it to make a it a cloud variable. If you don't see this checkbox, then you are a New Scratcher / not logged in, and unfortunately you cannot use the cloud.

Here's how the cloud works: If two people were viewing the project at the same time, and if the cloud variable was set to 2, both people would see the change.

You might also be wondering: “Why aren't there cloud lists?” There aren't cloud lists because there are some moderation issues, such as using them for chatrooms, as well as technical problems, as the servers cannot handle these. For now, you have to use a cloud variable to simulate a cloud list, or you can search one up.

WHAT IS “NECROPOSTING”?
Necroposting is posting something to a topic that has not been responded to for several months. Posting on an old topic is okay as long as you are adding relevant, new information to the topic, though, and as long as the owner is still active. On the Questions about Scratch forum, it's best to avoid posting on old topics as much as possible, as lots of people get their questions answered early on. You are unable to necropost on suggestions, though, as long as they haven't been rejected or implemented.

WHAT IS “BUMPING”?
If you see someone reply to a topic saying “bump”, they aren't spamming; they're bumping their topic. Bumping is basically “forum slang” for "Bring Up My Post". This means that when their topic doesn't get a lot of views / replies, they will say “bump” to bring it to the first page so more people are able to see it.

WHAT IS SPAM?
Spam is a post that is irrelevant to the topic at hand. Spam can apply to forum posts, comments, and even projects / studios. Spam is a reportable and bannable offense. There are different types of spam, and not just things like “aklsjdghiquhfnvka;nd;kv;biaerjfoierqjfnf”.


HOW DO I GET FEATURED CURATED?
However, getting curated means a selected Scratcher chooses your project to appear on the front page. A new curator is elected every week. Unlike featured projects, you can suggest your own project to be curated. Usually you can go to the curator's profile and look for an FPC project / studio where you can request to curate projects.

HOW DO I PROPOSE SOMEONE TO BE FEATURED / CURATED?
It's nice of you to suggest another Scratcher to appear on the front page! It's the exact same process for featuring and curating (see above). Nothing much else to do from there except hope that it does get featured / curated.

HOW DO I FIND A PROJECT / STUDIO?
To find a project or studio, simply use the search bar and type the name of the project or studio. Then you can use the “project” and “studio” filters. Alternatively, you can go to the URL bar, and go to scratch.mit.edu/projects/(project id) or scratch.mit.edu/studios/(studio id) You can also use Google and search:
“scratch” + (project name) + (user who made it )
or
“scratch” + (studio name).
You can even use “site:scratch.mit.edu” to only get results from the Scratch website.


HOW DO I FIND A USER / FORUM?
You may have noticed that you can't use the Scratch search bar to find users or forums. You can, in theory, search for users through the search bar by searching for one of their projects and finding their username. However, you must use Google to search for forum topics:
(name of topic) site:scratch.mit.edu/discuss. This also works for users, but remember to remove the “/discuss” at the end of the URL, or you'll only get forum results.


HOW DO I MAKE GAMES LIKE GRIFFPATCH?
First, griffpatch is an adult and a very advanced programmer, who pushes Scratch to its limits, like . However, it will take a lot of practice and dedication to code like him. It's good to start out slow. The Scratch built-in tutorials will help you. You can also go to someone's project and click “See Inside” to look in their scripts and learn from them. This is the best way to learn Scratch. Also Griffpatch isn't the only Scratcher who makes projects that push Scratch to the limit. You can find some of those projects here.

WHERE DO I POST MY TOPIC ON THE FORUMS?
That is a good question, considering there are a lot of forums on the website. Here's a quick rundown of all of the forums:

• Announcements: These are, well, announcements made by the Scratch Team. You can't post topics here, though.
  
• New Scratchers: This forum is for New Scratchers to come introduce themselves. If you are a Scratcher, there's not much point in making a topic here.
  
• Help with Scripts: This forum is for getting help with scripts in your project, like asking how to make something or fixing a bug in the project. This is commonly mixed up with the Bugs and Glitches forum, and sometimes the Questions about Scratch forum.
  
• Show and Tell: This forum is for showing off your project or studio for others to see. So far this forum has the most topics out of any forum.
  
• Project Ideas: This forum is for getting ideas for your next project. You can help others with ideas or ask for ideas. This is commonly mixed up with the Suggestions forum.
  
• Collaboration: This forum is for collaborating with other Scratchers on a big project. If you want to start a collaboration, post a topic there!
  
• Requests: This forum is for requesting for stuff such as logos, banners, scripts, BBCode, you name it.
  
• Questions About Scratch: This forum is for asking questions about Scratch in general, such as “what does favorite do?” or even “how many scratch projects are there?”
  
• Suggestions: This forum is for suggesting ideas that could improve Scratch. It used to be an entire site (if I'm correct) but it has been downgraded into a forum.
  
• Bugs and Glitches: This forum is for reporting bugs in the Scratch website or the Scratch editor. You can also report cloud data glitches.
  
• Advanced Topics: Also known as the ATs, this is for the more mature people that use programming languages other than Scratch. They do stuff like Coding Challenges, Scratch Mods, and much more.
  
• Connecting to the Physical World: This forum is for topics related to hardware that you can connect to Scratch (like the PicoBoard or the LEGO WeDo™)
  
• Developing Scratch Extensions: This forum is for getting help with Scratch extensions. An extension is a version of Scratch that has new blocks or features added by the user(s) who created it. There is also a site for Scratch extensions.
  
• Open Source Projects: This forum is for Scratch's open-source projects, where people can work on the Scratch website and the editor, and improving it as we speak.
  
• Things I'm Making and Creating: This forum is for talking about things that you are making outside of Scratch, such as art, music, programming, etc.
  
• Things I'm Reading and Playing: This forum is for talking about things that you are reading or playing, like books, TV shows, movies, or videogames.
  
• Scratch in Other Languages: If you have a foreign language, there are 17 languages to choose from! There is also topics that suggest languages to be added as forums, and for asking questions about translating Scratch.
  

PROJECT / STUDIO QUESTIONS
There are many questions about projects and studios. Many of them are answered in the Scratch Wiki. See this article for projects and this article for studios.

HOW CAN I GET TO THE SCRATCH TEAM?
If you want to work for the Scratch Team, you have to be at least 18 years old. You also, for some jobs, need to be at MIT.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BANNING / WHY SOMEONE WAS BANNED
A ban is a period of time when you cannot use Scratch. This may be because you broke the Community Guidelines or the Terms of Use. Bans can be as short as a week, or they can be permanent. You can learn more about bans here.

HELP WITH SCRIPTS
If you need help with a script in your project, you should ask in the Help With Scripts forum, instead of here.

COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS / REMIX QUESTIONS
For people asking about copyright issues, it is perfectly okay to use copyrighted material, because it is under Fair Use, according to the ToU. However, that's ONLY if your project is being used for an educational purpose. If you make a project strictly for, say, sharing a copyrighted song, it'll definitely get taken down, as Fair Use can't come into the equation there. If the owner of the copyright attempts to make a claim about your project, though, the Scratch Team will most likely take it down without a fight.
Also, every project is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. This means anybody can remix, even copy your project, as long as they credit you. You are able to report exact copies of your project. If you do not want people to remix your project, then don't share it.

If you are going to use sprites, costumes, scripts, sounds, or any other asset from another person's project, you are allowed to do this, but you must give credit to the user.

HOW DO I GET NOTICED?
The number one rule of getting well-known is patience. “Patience is a virtue”, some old guy once said, and it's true. If you cannot walk, you shouldn't expect to run overnight. When you are making a project, don't expect it to work the first time. You need patience and dedication if you want to succeed. You can get noticed by interacting with the community, as well. You can't expect for people to randomly search up your username if you've never talked to anyone on the website.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY USERNAME?
Unfortunately, you are not able to change your username.
It causes stress for the servers, and would confuse every user that's used to seeing your username. If you'd like to change it, though, make a new account with the different username, and transfer your projects over to that one.

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER ACCOUNTS
Since I am not a teacher, I don't know much about what teacher accounts are and what you can do with them. However, there are some really helpful pages including the Teacher Account FAQ, the Scratch For Educators page, and the Scratch Wiki page. You can use Contact Us to ask the Scratch Team for more information.

HOW DO I CHANGE THE THUMBNAIL OF MY PROJECT?
When you save your project, it will save whatever is on the stage at the current moment and will set the thumbnail to that. So to change your thumbnail, make your thumbnail show by using this script:

show
go to front
go to x: (0) y: (0)
set size to (100) % //this is optional
point in direction (90 v) //this is optional

Then, move a block or script (or click “Clean Up” by shift-clicking and selecting it and save the project. The thumbnail has now been changed.

A USER IS BEING MEAN TO ME! HELP?
If someone is bullying you on Scratch or another site on the internet, just report the comment and don't reply to them unless you're saying “Stop.” The main goal of bullies is to get a reaction out of you, so replying to their comment is encouraging them. Saying for them to “stop” is fine sometimes, but if you say something else like “Shut up! I don't see you doing any better!”, you could be the one that gets reported! So the best thing to do is just ignore the comment, report it, and move on with life.

WHAT IS NFE?
NFE stands for “Not For Everyone.” NFE projects are inappropriate, but your project will not be removed, instead it will not show up in the search or the front page.

Don't worry, if you get an NFE tag on your project, you're not in trouble. Your project just may not be suitable for certain people (like, for example, a game with jumpscares.) You should consider changing some things in your project so it is suitable for all audiences (for example, replacing a bullet gun with a Nerf® gun.) Projects with animated thumbnails and studios can also be marked as NFE, too.

WHY DOES MY PROJECT / STUDIO NOT SHOW ON SEARCH RESULTS?
It was most likely because it was marked as NFE (“Not For Everyone.”) You can learn more about this status above.

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DICTIONARY / ABBREVIATIONS

AMV - Animated Music Video, a project with music that they add their own sprites, backgrounds, and scripts to in the form of a music video.
Alert - When a user is officially reported, the Scratch Team alerts them through their messages. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you're banned, but if you repeat to ignore these alerts, you will be banned eventually.
Appeal - An action a user may do to end a ban, requires a private notice NOT THROUGH THE FORUMS BUT THROUGH EMAIL.
Backpack - A tool that anyone can use to transfer most content from one project to another. (Read the Official Wiki for more information.)
Ban - When a user repeatedly fails to comply to the Community Guidelines, they will be punished by not being able to access the website, unless they appeal (read above or the Official Wiki).
BBCode - The type of formatting that the Scratch Forums support/use. (Read the Official Wiki for more information.)
Bump - When a forum is nearly reaching inactivity, you may post - or bump - to bring it back up. If it is older than a month, or irrelevant, then it is considered necroposting (read below). Also, do not bump twice a day or more, as it is considered spam.
CC - Coloring Contest, where a Scratcher creates a project in which other Scratchers may remix and color out.
Community Guidelines - A wonderful list of rules for the Scratch Community. Failure to comply to these rules will result in a warning (Alert through your Messages), and eventually a ban.
Character Limit - The maximum amount of characters (letters, numbers, or symbols) that may be used in a comment. The current limit is 500, and that could not be minimized nor expanded.
Cloud Variables - A special kind of variable that allows you to store data on a server, therefore allowing inter-computer actions such as multiplayer or high score-keeping. For more information on who New Scratchers are, read the term below or check out this Wiki article.
Curator (Studio) - A member of a studio that may add projects and remove themselves/their own projects, as well as add new curators. They cannot delete other members nor delete any other projects.
Curator (Front Page) - A weekly-selected member of the community that selects projects to be featured to the rest of the community.
Emoji/Emoticon (Comments) - In comments, you can type _meow_ and other things (mostly in underscores) to output special emojis. For more information, read this article.
Emoji/Emoticon (Forums) - As you can tell, _meow_ (or comment emojis) do not work on the forums. Instead, you could input special emoticons to put out what are called “Smileys.” Read more about so here, which is in the BBCode category (read above.)
FTFY - Online abbreviation for “Fixed That For You.”
Kumquat - A fruit that is now commonly referenced as a joke in the forums due to cheddargirl's (Scratch Team member) signature not working in 2.0 and her resorting to kumquats eating eating her signature instead. Read more about Forum Trends and most importantly the kumquats here.
MAP - Multi-Animator Project, an animation that is completed by more than one person.
Messages - A tab in which you are notified about actions such as comments, love//fave-its, remixes, and activity in studios/forums that you follow/own/curate/manage. Alerts (read above) also appear in here.
My Stuff - A tab in which you are shown your projects (shared and unshared) and delete them as long as you own them.
Necropost - When a user posts in a topic that is older than a month. This is frowned upon whenever such posts are irrelevant or unnecessary.
OP (Person) - Original Poster, the person who created the original post of the forum topic.
OP (Post) - Original Post, the post that started a forum topic and contained most crucial information that is relevant.
Remix - A user may copy a project, add their own touches, and then share it. Please add something/remove something and give credit. If you don't, it's reportable.
Report - When a user breaks a Scratch Guideline, they may be reported by another user (or caught by the ST) and the Scratch Team properly handles it.
Signature/Siggy - A message that automatically shows up below each post of a specific user. You can edit your own by going to “Change Signature” at the bottom of the Discuss homepage.
Scratcher - A popular rank on Scratch. As mentioned in New Scratcher above, you may be promoted by special circumstances (read above), and receive new perks which you may read here.
Scratch Team/ST - Moderators and developers of Scratch.
Scratch 1.4/S1.4 - The previous and now partially outdated version of Scratch. Scratch has moved on to Scratch 2.0 (read below.) For more information about Scratch 1.4, read here. If you'd like to download the Official S1.4 Offline Editor, go here. Do note that soon, presumably when S3.0 is released, the S1.4OE may not be available.
Scratch 1.4 Offline Editor/S1.4OE - Offline editor still supported that may be downloaded here.
Scratch 2.0/S2.0 - The current version of Scratch, the one you're using right now. Will become slightly outdated when S3.0 is released.
Scratch 2.0 Offline Editor/S2.0OE - Offline editor for Scratch 2.0 which may be downloaded here.
Scratch 3.0/S3.0 - Upcoming version of Scratch that is currently in development and set for a release of 2017.
Spam - When you repeat a useless/annoying message on a topic/studio/project/profile.
Studio - A gallery of projects of a certain type, or with no theme at all.
Subforum - A section of the Discuss part of the website that is designed to house topics related to that title.

————————————————————————————————————————–

Well, I hope that helped you know everything you needed to know about Scratch. If you have any suggestions for improving this post for the good of the Scratch community, just let me know.

Guide by @Digital_Gaming.
Edited by @WolfCat67.
Additions suggested by @BY147258369, @Drunken_Sailor, @WolfCat67 and @1a3c5e7g9i.

And, as usual, here's the BBCode for the whole thing:

This is a guide that contains (almost) everything you need to know about Scratch in a brief form. Scratch is a very big site with lots of rules and just general facts to know. However, finding them can be a challenge, due to them being spread across multiple forums and topics. That's why I've searched both high and low to make the first "Super Guide" that combines everything you will ever need to know about Scratch into one easy-to-read helpful post.  Hope you enjoy this!  :)

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[color=red][center][big][b]SCRATCH GUIDELINES[/b][/big][/center][/color]
[b]The community guidelines are as follows:[/b]
[quote]
We need everyone’s help to keep Scratch a friendly and creative community where people with different backgrounds and interests feel welcome.

[b]Be respectful.[/b]
When sharing projects or posting comments, remember that people of many different ages and backgrounds will see what you’ve shared.

[b]Be constructive.[/b]
When commenting on others' projects, say something you like about it and offer suggestions.

[b]Share.[/b]
You are free to remix projects, ideas, images, or anything else you find on Scratch – and anyone can use anything that you share. Be sure to give credit when you remix.

[b]Keep personal info private.[/b]
For safety reasons, don't give out any information that could be used for private communication - such as real last names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, links to social media sites or websites with unmoderated chat.

[b]Be honest.[/b]
Don’t try to impersonate other Scratchers, spread rumors, or otherwise try to trick the community.

[b]Help keep the site friendly.[/b]
If you think a project or comment is mean, insulting, too violent, or otherwise inappropriate, click “Report” to let the Scratch Team know about it.

Scratch welcomes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
[/quote]
All the above information was gathered from the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/]official Scratch Community Guidelines[/url].

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=blue][big][b]RANKS[/b][/big][/color][/center]
When you first join, you will notice that you start out as a "New Scratcher".  This rank was put in place to prevent spammers, so you will have to meet certain requirements before the Scratch Team can verify that you actually are interested in the Scratch website. The way to get rid of this status is to be active in the community, share two projects, and have your account be two or more weeks old.  After you've met those requirements, you'll soon get a message from the Scratch Team (ST) saying that you've been invited to become a Scratcher. Click the link shown on the alert to become a Scratcher.

[b]Here is an explanation of the three main ranks on Scratch:[/b]
[quote]
[b]New Scratchers:[/b]
[list]
[*]They have the 120 second rule; this means they have to wait 120 seconds (2 minutes) between forum posts.
[*]They have to wait 30 seconds between comments.
[*]They are the only rank that cannot use Cloud Data.
[*]They cannot post the same comment three times in a row. 
[*]They can only edit forum posts after the initial page load; revisiting the page will not allow edits.
[*]They can't post links to non-Scratch sites.
[/list]
[b]Scratchers:[/b]
[list]
[*]They have the 60 second rule; this means they have to wait 60 seconds (1 minute) between posts.
[*]They cannot post the same comment three times in a row. 
[*]They can freely edit their own posts.
[*]They can close their own topics IF it has been up for more than 24 hours.
[*]They can use Cloud Data.
[/list]
[b]Scratch Team:[/b]
[small][I]Please Note:[/I] This status is reserved only for moderators and people who work on the site.  Normal users cannot gain this status.[/small]
[list]
[*]They can post as frequently as they want on the forums.
[*]They can post as many comments as they want.
[*]They can freely edit posts; both theirs and others'.
[*]They can close any topic, no matter how long it's been on the forums.
[*]They can use Cloud Data.
[*]They can feature projects.
[*]They can mark projects as NFE (Not For Everyone), FE (For Everyone), or remove them altogether.
[*]They can block and ban users.
[/list]
[/quote]
Although not technically a rank, you can also become a wiki editor, a user that can edit the [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/]Scratch Wiki[/url].  You can find information on how to become one [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Contribute_to_the_Scratch_Wiki]here[/url].

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=green][b][big]FORUM ETIQUETTE[/big][/b][/color][/center]

[b]1.[/b] When suggesting something on the Suggestions forum, don't just put in a title and say "what do you think" in the message part of your topic. The title should provide a general idea of what your suggestion is. You should then go into more detail in your message part of your OP (Original Post/Poster).

[b]2.[/b] When posting, try to keep it on-topic. However, correcting a user in a kind way while including something about the main topic, or making a joke related to the topic isn't off-topic as long as it's done in small amounts.  Repeatedly doing so can be considered off-topic, or even spam. 

[b]3.[/b] If a topic has been resolved, let the OP or the ST decide if the post should be closed.  You can get the ST to check it out by reporting it, but only after you're sure it's been resolved.  Don't just report it instantly, because other people may have something to add that hasn't been said yet. 

[b]4.[/b] While saying "support" and "no support" to suggestions is fine, for the most part, remember to include a reason, regardless of whether or not you like the idea or don't support it.  Keep in mind that the Scratch Team does not take the number of supports into consideration when viewing a suggestion, though.

[b]5.[/b]  Do your best to not post duplicate suggestions.  You can check the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/212472/]Suggestions Directory[/url] to make sure that your topic isn't a duplicate.  If you can't find it, but it still happens to be a duplicate, don't worry, you're not in trouble; it'll just simply be closed with a link to the other topic.

[b]6.[/b] Don't be rude to other users. If you disagree with something, let the user know in a kind manner. Also, if a user keeps on doing something you don't like, politely telling them to stop on the forums should be fine, as long as you contribute more to the topic at hand. If they don't stop after that, let them know on their profile. If they still don't stop then, just report the posts and let the ST deal with it.

[b]7.[/b] Use common sense.  While something like this doesn't happen all too often, when it does, it can be annoying to some users.  If someone were to bump a little too much, don't just make a post reminding them not to.  Instead, you can politely remind them of that, as well as add more to the topic they were bumping in the first place.  If you have nothing to contribute, you can remind them on their profile.  Don't just point out other peoples' flaws; it's not very nice.

[b]8.[/b] Don't spam.  Spamming is annoying and against the Community Guidelines.  You can even be banned from spamming in some cases.  Just don't do it!

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][color=purple][big][b]FAQ[/b][/big][/color]
Thank you to [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/alexphan/]@alexphan[/url] for the FAQ layout![/center]
[quote]
[b]HOW DO I MAKE A NEW TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
To make a new topic, simply go to the forum you want to post on, then click on the button that says “New Topic”. Then type in the title of your topic and the contents of the first post. Make sure that your post is in the correct forum. You can find out if your in the right forum by checking the stickies for what should be in that forum. 

[b]HOW DO I CLOSE A TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
If you want to close your topic, you have to wait 24 hours before you can close a topic. To close a topic by yourself, wait 24 hours, and then there should be a button below the message box that says “Close Topic”. Click on the button, and your topic will be closed. Alternatively, you can report the first post and ask the Scratch Team to close it for you.

[b]HOW DO I RE-POEN MY TOPIC / DISCUSSION / THREAD?[/b]
If you accidentally close your topic or you decide to revive an old topic, simply report the first post saying that you want to reopen your topic. The Scratch Team will then re-open the topic for you.

[b]HOW DO I MAKE A SIGNATURE?[/b]
To make a signature, go to the Discuss homepage, then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page.  There, you will find a link that says "Change your signature".  Click on this, and type whatever you want.  This will now appear underneath all your forum posts.

[b]HOW DO I GET MY PROJECT FEATURED?[/b]
You can get your project featured by having someone propose your topic to be featured on [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/245007/]this topic[/url].
[small]Thanks to [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Paddle2See/]@Paddle2See[/url] for the layout for this section![/small]
The Scratch Team wants to feature new projects that have not gotten enough attention. The Scratch Team is looking for your help. At this point, they only want proposals from people who have full Scratcher accounts (not New Scratchers).  Also, they do not want any proposals from family members.

Remember that proposing a project doesn't guarantee it will be featured; it just gives it a higher chance.

These are the kind of things they're looking for:
1. simple projects
2. complex projects
3. projects that show an innovative use of Scratch
4. project that promote collaboration and remixing
5. projects that show the diversity in our community (gender, age, culture, country, interests, etc)
6. project that different kinds of people would find enjoyable
7. projects that inspire

A project CANNOT be submitted if it…
1. was created by you. This means that you CANNOT submit your project.
2. was created by someone whose project(s) have been  on the front page already in the last two months (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
3. has received more than 100 love its already.
4. has violence including weapons, hurting animals or people
5. contains language inappropriate for all ages
6. is a copy of a commercial game or story, it's OK if it is inspired by though
7. has been on the front page already (excluding Newest projects or Design Studio)
8. doesn't work well online

By the way, if you would like to suggest any studios for featuring, you can do that at the proposal topic too. too.  Unlike project suggestions, you ARE allowed to suggest your own studios.

[b]WHAT ARE STICKIES?[/b]
“Stickies” are forums that appear on the very top with a push pin icon next to it.  Also, stickies cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

[b]WHAT ARE ITOPICS?[/b]
“ITopics” are topics with helpful information, just like stickies. However, ITopics are only created when there are too many stickies in a forum. Usually topics that are ITopic-ed are former stickies that are linked to by stickies. Like stickies, ITopics cannot be necroposted on (see “WHAT IS NECROPOSTING”).

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOUD[/b]
Cloud variables are variables stored on the Scratch server. To make a cloud variable, go to the “Variables” section in your project and make a new variable. There should be a checkbox saying “Cloud Variable (stored on server)”. Click on it to make a it a cloud variable. If you don't see this checkbox, then you are a New Scratcher / not logged in, and unfortunately you cannot use the cloud.

Here's how the cloud works: If two people were viewing the project at the same time, and if the cloud variable was set to 2, both people would see the change.

You might also be wondering: “Why aren't there cloud lists?” There aren't cloud lists because there are some moderation issues, such as using them for chatrooms, as well as technical problems, as the servers cannot handle these. For now, you have to use a cloud variable to simulate a cloud list, or you can search one up.

[b]WHAT IS "NECROPOSTING"?[/b]
Necroposting is posting something to a topic that has not been responded to for several months. Posting on an old topic is okay as long as you are adding relevant, new information to the topic, though, and as long as the owner is still active.  On the Questions about Scratch forum, it's best to avoid posting on old topics as much as possible, as lots of people get their questions answered early on.  You are unable to necropost on suggestions, though, as long as they haven't been rejected or implemented.

[b]WHAT IS "BUMPING"?[/b]
If you see someone reply to a topic saying “bump”, they aren't spamming; they're bumping their topic. Bumping is basically “forum slang” for "[u]B[/u]ring [u]U[/u]p [u]M[/u]y [u]P[/u]ost". This means that when their topic doesn't get a lot of views / replies, they will say “bump” to bring it to the first page so more people are able to see it. 

[b]WHAT IS SPAM?[/b]
Spam is a post that is irrelevant to the topic at hand. Spam can apply to forum posts, comments, and even projects / studios. Spam is a reportable and bannable offense. There are different types of spam, and not just things like "aklsjdghiquhfnvka;nd;kv;biaerjfoierqjfnf".


[b]HOW DO I GET FEATURED CURATED?[/b]
However, getting curated means a selected Scratcher chooses your project to appear on the front page. A new curator is elected every week. Unlike featured projects, you can suggest your own project to be curated.  Usually you can go to the curator's profile and look for an FPC project / studio where you can request to curate projects.

[b]HOW DO I PROPOSE SOMEONE TO BE FEATURED / CURATED?[/b]
It's nice of you to suggest another Scratcher to appear on the front page!  It's the exact same process for featuring and curating (see above). Nothing much else to do from there except hope that it does get featured / curated.

[b]HOW DO I FIND A PROJECT / STUDIO?[/b]
To find a project or studio, simply use the search bar and type the name of the project or studio. Then you can use the “project” and “studio” filters.  Alternatively, you can go to the URL bar, and go to scratch.mit.edu/projects/(project id) or scratch.mit.edu/studios/(studio id) You can also use Google and search:
“scratch” + (project name) + (user who made it )
or 
“scratch” + (studio name).
You can even use "site:scratch.mit.edu" to only get results from the Scratch website.


HOW DO I FIND A USER / FORUM?
You may have noticed that you can't use the Scratch search bar to find users or forums. You can, in theory, search for users through the search bar by searching for one of their projects and finding their username. However, you must use Google to search for forum topics:
(name of topic) site:scratch.mit.edu/discuss.  This also works for users, but remember to remove the "/discuss" at the end of the URL, or you'll only get forum results.


[b]HOW DO I MAKE GAMES LIKE GRIFFPATCH?[/b]
First, griffpatch is an adult and a very advanced programmer, who pushes Scratch to its limits, like . However, it will take a lot of practice and dedication to code like him. It's good to start out slow. The Scratch built-in tutorials will help you. You can also go to someone's project and click “See Inside” to look in their scripts and learn from them. This is the best way to learn Scratch. Also Griffpatch isn't the only Scratcher who makes projects that push Scratch to the limit. You can find some of those projects [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/2964365/projects/]here[/url].

[b]WHERE DO I POST MY TOPIC ON THE FORUMS?[/b]
That is a good question, considering there are a lot of forums on the website. Here's a quick rundown of all of the forums:
[list]
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/5/]Announcements[/url]: These are, well, announcements made by the Scratch Team. You can't post topics here, though.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/6/]New Scratchers[/url]: This forum is for New Scratchers to come introduce themselves. If you are a Scratcher, there's not much point in making a topic here.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/7/]Help with Scripts[/url]: This forum is for getting help with scripts in your project, like asking how to make something or fixing a bug in the project. This is commonly mixed up with the Bugs and Glitches forum, and sometimes the Questions about Scratch forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/8/]Show and Tell[/url]: This forum is for showing off your project or studio for others to see. So far this forum has the most topics out of any forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/9/]Project Ideas[/url]: This forum is for getting ideas for your next project. You can help others with ideas or ask for ideas. This is commonly mixed up with the Suggestions forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/10/]Collaboration[/url]: This forum is for collaborating with other Scratchers on a big project. If you want to start a collaboration, post a topic there!
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/11/]Requests[/url]:  This forum is for requesting for stuff such as logos, banners, scripts, BBCode, you name it.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/4/]Questions About Scratch[/url]: This forum is for asking questions about Scratch in general, such as “what does favorite do?” or even “how many scratch projects are there?”
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/1/]Suggestions[/url]: This forum is for suggesting ideas that could improve Scratch. It used to be an entire site (if I'm correct) but it has been downgraded into a forum.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/3/]Bugs and Glitches[/url]: This forum is for reporting bugs in the Scratch website or the Scratch editor. You can also report cloud data glitches.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/31/]Advanced Topics[/url]: Also known as the ATs, this is for the more mature people that use programming languages other than Scratch. They do stuff like Coding Challenges, Scratch Mods, and much more.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/32/]Connecting to the Physical World[/url]: This forum is for topics related to hardware that you can connect to Scratch (like the PicoBoard or the LEGO WeDo™)
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/48/]Developing Scratch Extensions[/url]: This forum is for getting help with Scratch extensions. An extension is a version of Scratch that has new blocks or features added by the user(s) who created it. There is also a site for Scratch extensions.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/49/] Open Source Projects[/url]: This forum is for Scratch's open-source projects, where people can work on the Scratch website and the editor, and improving it as we speak.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/29/]Things I'm Making and Creating[/url]: This forum is for talking about things that you are making outside of Scratch, such as art, music, programming, etc.
[*][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/30/]Things I'm Reading and Playing[/url]: This forum is for talking about things that you are reading or playing, like books, TV shows, movies, or videogames.
[*][/url] Scratch in Other Languages[/url]: If you have a foreign language, there are 17 languages to choose from!   There is also topics that suggest languages to be added as forums, and for asking questions about translating Scratch.
[/list]

[b]PROJECT / STUDIO QUESTIONS[/b]
There are many questions about projects and studios. Many of them are answered in the Scratch Wiki.  See [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Project/]this article[/url] for projects and [url=http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Studio/]this article[/url] for studios.[/url]

[b]HOW CAN I GET TO THE SCRATCH TEAM?[/b]
If you want to work for the Scratch Team, you have to be at least 18 years old. You also, for some jobs, need to be at MIT.

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT BANNING / WHY SOMEONE WAS BANNED[/b]
A ban is a period of time when you cannot use Scratch. This may be because you broke the Community Guidelines or the Terms of Use. Bans can be as short as a week, or they can be permanent. [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Ban]You can learn more about bans here.[/url]

[b]HELP WITH SCRIPTS[/b]
If you need help with a script in your project, you should ask in the [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/7]Help With Scripts forum[/url], instead of here.

[b]COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS / REMIX QUESTIONS[/b]
For people asking about copyright issues, it is perfectly okay to use copyrighted material, because it is under Fair Use, according to the ToU.  However, that's ONLY if your project is being used for an educational purpose.  If you make a project strictly for, say, sharing a copyrighted song, it'll definitely get taken down, as Fair Use can't come into the equation there.  If the owner of the copyright attempts to make a claim about your project, though, the Scratch Team will most likely take it down without a fight.
Also, every project is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. This means anybody can remix, even copy your project, as long as they credit you. You are able to report [u]exact[/u] copies of your project. [u]If you do not want people to remix your project, then don't share it.[/u]

If you are going to use sprites, costumes, scripts, sounds, or any other asset from another person's project, you are allowed to do this, but you must give credit to the user.

[b]HOW DO I GET NOTICED?[/b]
The number one rule of getting well-known is patience.  “Patience is a virtue”, some old guy once said, and it's true. If you cannot walk, you shouldn't expect to run overnight. When you are making a project, don't expect it to work the first time. You need patience and dedication if you want to succeed.  You can get noticed by interacting with the community, as well.  You can't expect for people to randomly search up your username if you've never talked to anyone on the website.

[b]HOW DO I CHANGE MY USERNAME?[/b]
Unfortunately, you are not able to change your username.
It causes stress for the servers, and would confuse every user that's used to seeing your username.  If you'd like to change it, though, make a new account with the different username, and transfer your projects over to that one.

[b]QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER ACCOUNTS[/b]
Since I am not a teacher, I don't know much about what teacher accounts are and what you can do with them. However, there are some really helpful pages including the Teacher Account FAQ, [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/educators/]the Scratch For Educators page[/url], and the Scratch Wiki page. You can use Contact Us to ask the Scratch Team for more information.

[b]HOW DO I CHANGE THE THUMBNAIL OF MY PROJECT?[/b]
When you save your project, it will save whatever is on the stage at the current moment and will set the thumbnail to that. So to change your thumbnail, make your thumbnail show by using this script:

[scratchblocks]
show
go to front
go to x: (0) y: (0)
set size to (100) % //this is optional
point in direction (90 v) //this is optional
[/scratchblocks]

Then, move a block or script (or click "Clean Up" by shift-clicking and selecting it and save the project. The thumbnail has now been changed.

[b]A USER IS BEING MEAN TO ME! HELP?[/b]
If someone is bullying you on Scratch or another site on the internet, just report the comment and don't reply to them unless you're saying “Stop.” The main goal of bullies is to get a reaction out of you, so replying to their comment is encouraging them. Saying for them to “stop” is fine sometimes, but if you say something else like “Shut up! I don't see you doing any better!”, you could be the one that gets reported! So the best thing to do is just ignore the comment, report it, and move on with life.

[b]WHAT IS NFE?[/b]
NFE stands for “Not For Everyone.” NFE projects are inappropriate, but your project will not be removed, instead it will not show up in the search or the front page.

Don't worry, if you get an NFE tag on your project, you're not in trouble. Your project just may not be suitable for certain people (like, for example, a game with jumpscares.) You should consider changing some things in your project so it is suitable for all audiences (for example, replacing a bullet gun with a Nerf® gun.) Projects with animated thumbnails and studios can also be marked as NFE, too.

[b]WHY DOES MY PROJECT / STUDIO NOT SHOW ON SEARCH RESULTS?[/b]
It was most likely because it was marked as NFE (“Not For Everyone.”) You can learn more about this status above.
[/quote]

[center][b]————————————————————————————————————————–[/b][/center]
[center][big][b][color=orange]DICTIONARY / ABBREVIATIONS[/color][/b][/big][/center]
[quote]
[b]AMV[/b] - [b]Animated Music Video[/b], a project with music that they add their own sprites, backgrounds, and scripts to in the form of a music video.
[b]Alert[/b] - When a user is officially reported, the Scratch Team alerts them through their messages. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you're banned, but if you repeat to ignore these alerts, you will be banned eventually.
[b]Appeal[/b] - An action a user may do to end a ban, requires a private notice [b]NOT THROUGH THE FORUMS BUT THROUGH EMAIL[/b].
[b]Backpack[/b] - A tool that anyone can use to transfer most content from one project to another. (Read the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Backpack]Official Wiki[/url] for more information.)
[b]Ban[/b] - When a user repeatedly fails to comply to the Community Guidelines, they will be punished by not being able to access the website, unless they appeal (read above or the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Ban]Official Wiki[/url]).
[b]BBCode[/b] - The type of formatting that the Scratch Forums support/use. (Read the [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/BBCode]Official Wiki[/url] for more information.)
[b]Bump[/b] - When a forum is nearly reaching inactivity, you may post - or bump - to bring it back up. If it is older than a month, or irrelevant, then it is considered [i]necroposting[/i] (read below). Also, [b]do not bump twice a day or more, as it is considered spam.[/b]
[b]CC[/b] - Coloring Contest, where a Scratcher creates a project in which other Scratchers may remix and color out.
[b][url=https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/]Community Guidelines[/url][/b] - A wonderful list of rules for the Scratch Community. Failure to comply to these rules will result in a warning (Alert through your Messages), and eventually a ban.
[b]Character Limit[/b] - The maximum amount of characters (letters, numbers, or symbols) that may be used in a comment. The current limit is 500, and that could not be minimized nor expanded.
[b]Cloud Variables[/b] - A special kind of variable that allows you to store data on a server, therefore allowing inter-computer actions such as multiplayer or high score-keeping. For more information on who New Scratchers are, read the term below or check out this [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/New_Scratchers]Wiki article[/url].
[b]Curator (Studio)[/b] - A member of a studio that may add projects and remove themselves/their own projects, as well as add new curators. They cannot delete other members nor delete any other projects.
[b]Curator (Front Page)[/b] - A weekly-selected member of the community that selects projects to be featured to the rest of the community.
[b]Emoji/Emoticon (Comments)[/b] - In comments, you can type _meow_ and other things (mostly in underscores) to output special emojis. For more information, read this [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_Emoji]article[/url].
[b]Emoji/Emoticon (Forums)[/b] - As you can tell, _meow_ (or comment emojis) do not work on the forums. Instead, you could input special emoticons to put out what are called "Smileys." Read more about so [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/BBCode#Smilies]here[/url], which is in the BBCode category (read above.)
[b]FTFY[/b] - Online abbreviation for "Fixed That For You."
[b]Kumquat[/b] - A fruit that is now commonly referenced as a joke in the forums due to cheddargirl's (Scratch Team member) signature not working in 2.0 and her resorting to kumquats eating eating her signature instead. Read more about Forum Trends and most importantly the kumquats [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Kumquat#Evil_Kumquat]here[/url].
[b]MAP[/b] - Multi-Animator Project, an animation that is completed by more than one person.
[b]Messages[/b] - A tab in which you are notified about actions such as comments, love//fave-its, remixes, and activity in studios/forums that you follow/own/curate/manage. Alerts (read above) also appear in here.
[b]My Stuff[/b] - A tab in which you are shown your projects (shared and unshared) and delete them as long as you own them.
[b]Necropost[/b] - When a user posts in a topic that is older than a month. This is frowned upon whenever such posts are irrelevant or unnecessary.
[b]OP (Person)[/b] - Original Poster, the person who created the original post of the forum topic.
[b]OP (Post)[/b] - Original Post, the post that started a forum topic and contained most crucial information that is relevant.
[b]Remix[/b] - A user may copy a project, add their own touches, and then share it. Please add something/remove something and give credit. If you don't, it's [b]reportable.[/b]
[b]Report[/b] - When a user breaks a Scratch Guideline, they may be reported by another user (or caught by the ST) and the Scratch Team properly handles it.
[b]Signature/Siggy[/b] - A message that automatically shows up below each post of a specific user. You can edit [i]your own[/i] by going to "Change Signature" at the bottom of the Discuss homepage.
[b]Scratcher[/b] - A popular rank on Scratch. As mentioned in [i]New Scratcher[/i] above, you may be promoted by special circumstances (read above), and receive new perks which you may read [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/11860/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch Team/ST[/b] - Moderators and developers of Scratch.
[b]Scratch 1.4/S1.4[/b] - The previous and now partially outdated version of Scratch. Scratch has moved on to Scratch 2.0 (read below.) For more information about Scratch 1.4, read [url=https://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_1.4]here[/url]. If you'd like to download the Official S1.4 Offline Editor, go [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch_1.4/]here[/url]. Do note that soon, presumably when S3.0 is released, the S1.4OE may not be available.
[b]Scratch 1.4 Offline Editor/S1.4OE[/b] - Offline editor still supported that may be downloaded [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch_1.4/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch 2.0/S2.0[/b] - The current version of Scratch, the one you're using right now. Will become slightly outdated when S3.0 is released.
[b]Scratch 2.0 Offline Editor/S2.0OE[/b] - Offline editor for Scratch 2.0 which may be downloaded [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch2download/]here[/url].
[b]Scratch 3.0/S3.0[/b] - Upcoming version of Scratch that is currently in development and set for a release of 2017.
[b]Spam[/b] - When you repeat a useless/annoying message on a topic/studio/project/profile.
[b]Studio[/b] - A gallery of projects of a certain type, or with no theme at all.
[b]Subforum[/b] - A section of the Discuss part of the website that is designed to house topics related to that title.
[/quote]

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Well, I hope that helped you know everything you needed to know about Scratch. If you have any suggestions for improving this post for the good of the Scratch community, just let me know.

[small]Guide by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Digital_Gaming/]@Digital_Gaming[/url].
Edited by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/WolfCat67/]@WolfCat67[/url].
Additions suggested by [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/BY147258369/]@BY147258369[/url], [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Drunken_Sailor/]@Drunken_Sailor[/url], [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/WolfCat67/]@WolfCat67[/url] and [url=https://scratch.mit.edu/users/1a3c5e7g9i/]@1a3c5e7g9i[/url].[/small]

CatOverload wrote:

Thanks for crediting, the format looks amazing! I can definitely see this getting stickied. Grats to you and WolfCat