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This has been mentioned in the “Report cloud glitches here” sticky but doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention so I'm making a thread for it.

Currently, newly created cloud variables appear to function normally but when the project page is updated all cloud variables with a length over 128 digits are cut off to that length. When first reported, I ignored it thinking the Scratcher must be in error, because such a change in cloud data usage would break old projects that relied on long strings of cloud data for persistent memory. But I heard it again so I tested it to confirm it then went and looked at Griffpatch's featured game project, Scratcheria. It is still working fine and seems to contain a cloud variable with a length over 57,000 digits long. The fact that this 128 digit limit change only seems to be affecting newly created cloud variables is why I am assuming this is a bug and making this post.

yeah. ST make a new regulation because they don't have much money to operate cloud server
and they don't want to make cloud chats

Has the Scratch Team made any sort of announcement about this change? Seems like kind of a big deal.

Never mind, found my own answer..

“Hi folks,
As many of you have noticed we have added some limits to the Cloud Variables system that previously did not exist. We have added a 128 character limit and we are now restricting cloud variables to be numbers only (no hexadecimal, E-notation, etc). These new limits were put into place to prevent abuse of the cloud variables system that was causing it to be unreasonable to maintain, scale, moderate, and support financially. In addition, these new limits help reduce the possibility of projects like “Chat Rooms” (which are incredibly difficult for the ST to keep safe). We recognize that these new limits may impact some projects, but hope the community will be empathetic in understanding that as a non-profit Scratch needs to make sure that the services we provide are sustainable. Thanks for understanding and sorry it took a few days for us to clarify the situation.”

So yes, we got nerfed permanently. The simple solution is to expand the currently existing tiered cloud data access system based on a user's time as a Scratcher, but I guess the even simpler solution is to make the feature entirely unuseful? Sorry Scratch Team but you blew it big time here. Wonder how many users we will lose as we travel backwards?

Locomule wrote:

Never mind, found my own answer..

“Hi folks,
As many of you have noticed we have added some limits to the Cloud Variables system that previously did not exist. We have added a 128 character limit and we are now restricting cloud variables to be numbers only (no hexadecimal, E-notation, etc). These new limits were put into place to prevent abuse of the cloud variables system that was causing it to be unreasonable to maintain, scale, moderate, and support financially. In addition, these new limits help reduce the possibility of projects like “Chat Rooms” (which are incredibly difficult for the ST to keep safe). We recognize that these new limits may impact some projects, but hope the community will be empathetic in understanding that as a non-profit Scratch needs to make sure that the services we provide are sustainable. Thanks for understanding and sorry it took a few days for us to clarify the situation.”

So yes, we got nerfed permanently. The simple solution is to expand the currently existing tiered cloud data access system based on a user's time as a Scratcher, but I guess the even simpler solution is to make the feature entirely unuseful? Sorry Scratch Team but you blew it big time here. Wonder how many users we will lose as we travel backwards?

Scratch is a beginner language.

PintOfMilk wrote:

Locomule wrote:

Never mind, found my own answer..

“Hi folks,
As many of you have noticed we have added some limits to the Cloud Variables system that previously did not exist. We have added a 128 character limit and we are now restricting cloud variables to be numbers only (no hexadecimal, E-notation, etc). These new limits were put into place to prevent abuse of the cloud variables system that was causing it to be unreasonable to maintain, scale, moderate, and support financially. In addition, these new limits help reduce the possibility of projects like “Chat Rooms” (which are incredibly difficult for the ST to keep safe). We recognize that these new limits may impact some projects, but hope the community will be empathetic in understanding that as a non-profit Scratch needs to make sure that the services we provide are sustainable. Thanks for understanding and sorry it took a few days for us to clarify the situation.”

So yes, we got nerfed permanently. The simple solution is to expand the currently existing tiered cloud data access system based on a user's time as a Scratcher, but I guess the even simpler solution is to make the feature entirely unuseful? Sorry Scratch Team but you blew it big time here. Wonder how many users we will lose as we travel backwards?

Scratch is a beginner language.

Just because it is a “beginner language” doesn't mean it has to be very simple.

Python is also a “beginner language”, btw

But we completely understand why the ST added limitations. Money is everything ;(

I guess this is the end of my channel…

It's been real guys

By the way, now that we know this is not a bug, I guess there is no point in continuing this thread in this forum as there is another in the Advanced Topics forum that a Scratch Team member replied to. So did Griffpatch who suggested giving users a pool of data space they can spend on whichever cloud projects they choose but don't get all happy, it is still a pretty depressing thread to read. This is going to break a lot of really good projects and change a lot of Scratcher's future plans.