Ok Scratch Team, I know you believe that chatrooms would be unsafe and that people would be cyberbullies. Well you can only think that right now. Because chatrooms are not allowed you can not know if people will cyberbully. I thought that the Scratch 2.0 Beta was for testing the features of Scratch 2.0. Well yes, you have allowed us to test many things but why not cloud variables with strings? I can't say that testing will go good, but I also can't say it will turn out bad. And besides chatrooms are very similar to commenting. Could I just make a project and call it a chatroom because you can chat in the comments. It would be basically the same thing. But allowing chatrooms in projects allows you to chat and play at the same time. If you still don't believe chatrooms will be safe after hearing what I just said, I might as well give you some suggestions.

1. Well this is more of a fact then a suggestion. Using the “Cloud Data Log” you can tell who sent what messages. Depending on the level of violence you could punish them.

2. I know a “bad word sensor” wouldn't stop people from being mean, like “dumb” isn't a bad word but it can still hurt someones feelings. One way to do this would be by sending messages with “unkind” words to the Scratch Team so they could pass the message or not allow it. This would be a way to not hurt anyone's feelings. For example if someone said “You're dumb!” then the Scratch Team would have this message sent to them and they could pass or not pass it. In this case, “dumb” would be the unkind word.

3. Yes, I know that there still is a way around that. They could type “You're du-mb” or something like that. That is why you guys don't think chatrooms are safe correct? Well in cloud lists, you could add a “report” button in them. Of course this would only be needed in chatrooms but it wouldn't bother scratchers with “High Score” list either. After a scratcher hits the “Report” button the message would go to you. Also the name of the scratcher who sent the message and reported it would be sent to you. If the message wasn't mean you could leave it be, and give the one who reported it a warning. Once they get some number of warnings, they would be banned. But if the scratcher who sent it was being mean, then they would get a warning.

I hope after reading all that I just typed you can agree with me.

I agree! (although im not the scratch team )

+1

lunaluvgood wrote:

+1

Thanks!

+1 i have already suggested these things,
you can find most of them in the fake chatroom in my signature

yes but there would have to be a menu so you could only say things that were on the menu so Its like safechat

1. Yes, that's part of the reason it was implemented.
2. No, but it would stop people from being inappropriate. Some words are not allowed on this site at all (i.e. swear words) and the censor is effective at preventing that.
However, the idea of having data approved by a mod will not work. For multiplayer games and such, data needs to be updated within a few seconds. It can take hours for the ST to get to reading all of that. It would also create a major drain on the moderation resources.
3. The current plan is you can report the project and they will look at the cloud data log. That option is much easier to implement.

I NEED CLOUD LISTS!
AND I WANNA MAKE A CHATROOM FOR MY COLABS AND OTHER DEVS WHO NEED IT!

happyjoey2012 wrote:

I NEED CLOUD LISTS!
AND I WANNA MAKE A CHATROOM FOR MY COLABS AND OTHER DEVS WHO NEED IT!

Not allowed, you can be banned if you don't follow the rules.

Good Point. I didn't even think that you could compare chatrooms with comments. I know how you could “flag” someones comment in a cloud list. you could add a sprite, and when it is clicked it asks “what number comment is inapropriate?” and then the button would delete the comment. That could backfire though, because people might delete random comments. I think chatrooms should be allowed though.

racecar2001 wrote:

Good Point. I didn't even think that you could compare chatrooms with comments. I know how you could “flag” someones comment in a cloud list. you could add a sprite, and when it is clicked it asks “what number comment is inapropriate?” and then the button would delete the comment. That could backfire though, because people might delete random comments. I think chatrooms should be allowed though.

Yes but if you flagged a random comment you could get a warning. After a certain amount of warnings you get banned.

giratina12 wrote:

racecar2001 wrote:

Good Point. I didn't even think that you could compare chatrooms with comments. I know how you could “flag” someones comment in a cloud list. you could add a sprite, and when it is clicked it asks “what number comment is inapropriate?” and then the button would delete the comment. That could backfire though, because people might delete random comments. I think chatrooms should be allowed though.

Yes but if you flagged a random comment you could get a warning. After a certain amount of warnings you get banned.

Yeah, you could make a script inside the project that makes them unable to do anything in the project. It would have to have a cloud variable though, because those are unchangeable, and you can change regular variables in projects. Unless you meant banned from the website.

racecar2001 wrote:

giratina12 wrote:

racecar2001 wrote:

Good Point. I didn't even think that you could compare chatrooms with comments. I know how you could “flag” someones comment in a cloud list. you could add a sprite, and when it is clicked it asks “what number comment is inapropriate?” and then the button would delete the comment. That could backfire though, because people might delete random comments. I think chatrooms should be allowed though.

Yes but if you flagged a random comment you could get a warning. After a certain amount of warnings you get banned.

Yeah, you could make a script inside the project that makes them unable to do anything in the project. It would have to have a cloud variable though, because those are unchangeable, and you can change regular variables in projects. Unless you meant banned from the website.

Yes I meant banned from the website.

giratina12 wrote:

racecar2001 wrote:

giratina12 wrote:

racecar2001 wrote:

Good Point. I didn't even think that you could compare chatrooms with comments. I know how you could “flag” someones comment in a cloud list. you could add a sprite, and when it is clicked it asks “what number comment is inapropriate?” and then the button would delete the comment. That could backfire though, because people might delete random comments. I think chatrooms should be allowed though.

Yes but if you flagged a random comment you could get a warning. After a certain amount of warnings you get banned.

Yeah, you could make a script inside the project that makes them unable to do anything in the project. It would have to have a cloud variable though, because those are unchangeable, and you can change regular variables in projects. Unless you meant banned from the website.

Yes I meant banned from the website.

oh. Okay. Well, I hope chatrooms become allowed soon!

how about we put passwords on the certain rooms so only friends can chat if they have the password

scratchy10 wrote:

how about we put passwords on the certain rooms so only friends can chat if they have the password

While a good thought, that won't work since somebody could click “See Inside” and break into the room. Not unless there was a “Don't let these users enter” for those who had attempted.

Encryption would prevent that - the data about the content in a particular chat between friends could only be decrypted by knowing the correct password. Trying to decrypt with an incorrect password gives gibberish. It's not hard to write a reasonably decent encryption algorithm (I've got one ready and waiting to use in InterXeptor to save user game status in cloud variables).

EDIT: should've said that I was assuming the chat was also meant to be private (was thinking of devs discussing a collab, for example, where you don't necessarily want others to see what you're planning for a game…), but rereading above I see that wasn't specifically mentioned, in which case just checking username would be ok.

You wouldn't even need encryption. Instead of a password, you would have an invitation system. That way you can use the “username” block which will prevent people from getting in

+1

If not chatrooms, how about an online list and a shoutout box on front page? Or gmail style messaging / chat?