Private Messaging System

misteray

Just what you would expect, a private messaging system. It would be letters only. No numbers, no pictures, no links. Just a small private messaging feature to talk to friends, without being bothered by an online predator doing weird gestures. Even then, you'd need to enable the PM feature, so if you're a parent setting up a child(like me)'s account, you can turn it on or off.

This is just a small PM suggestion that is almost fool proof from predators and bots. No numbers, pictures, links, or emojis.

This could help when telling your friend you made a new project, or just some general discussion. Other people can be added to the chat as well, so 8 people can chat with each other. Before enabling private messages, you should have to put in your password as well.

Edit: there should also be a reminder everytime you post to not share any personal info, no matter what they say(e.g address, phone number, real name)

Last edited by misteray (March 5, 2020 02:22:06)

StevenTheSquare

This suggestion is rejected because people could bully using this or ask for personal info or other bad things

misteray

StevenTheSquare wrote:
This suggestion is rejected because people could bully using this or ask for personal info or other bad things

There could also be a blocking feature too.

also thats sort of rude considering that this suggestion is sort of work in progress, so over time more suggestions for the suggestion could be added

Last edited by misteray (March 5, 2020 02:26:25)

StevenTheSquare

I'm not the one who rejected it, I'm just saying, it's in the list of rejected suggestions. (one of the sticky topics, you can read through it)

StevenTheSquare

Za-Chary wrote:
7.1 Private messaging
Scratch currently has public messaging, meaning anyone is able to see the comments that you write. As a result, people are more likely to be respectful since anyone can see the comment. However, with private messaging, people know that only the intended recipient can see the message, so users may not think before posting. This could lead to many more disrespectful or inappropriate comments.

The Scratch Team also simply does not have the resources to moderate a private messaging system, precisely because there would be a lot of disrespectful or inappropriate comments. In addition, it is a huge Internet safety concern, and is not really the purpose of using Scratch anyway.

This suggestion extends to allowing users to post links to other private messaging websites, such as Discord. Many such messaging websites are not as well-moderated as Scratch is. If such links were allowed, Scratch may be held responsible if anything bad happens to someone.

misteray

StevenTheSquare wrote:
Za-Chary wrote:
7.1 Private messaging
Scratch currently has public messaging, meaning anyone is able to see the comments that you write. As a result, people are more likely to be respectful since anyone can see the comment. However, with private messaging, people know that only the intended recipient can see the message, so users may not think before posting. This could lead to many more disrespectful or inappropriate comments.

The Scratch Team also simply does not have the resources to moderate a private messaging system, precisely because there would be a lot of disrespectful or inappropriate comments. In addition, it is a huge Internet safety concern, and is not really the purpose of using Scratch anyway.

This suggestion extends to allowing users to post links to other private messaging websites, such as Discord. Many such messaging websites are not as well-moderated as Scratch is. If such links were allowed, Scratch may be held responsible if anything bad happens to someone.

I read that, I just wanted to see if I can make it safer/better for younger audiences

fdreerf

misteray wrote:
Edit: there should also be a reminder everytime you post to not share any personal info, no matter what they say(e.g address, phone number, real name)

Wow, brave of you to assume people actually read and follow warnings!
There is no way this is being implemented. It is already a rejected suggestion and no matter what restrictions you apply, people will always manage to be one step ahead.

DownsGameClub

Sorry, but this is rejected:

Scratch Team wrote:
Scratch currently has public messaging, meaning anyone is able to see the comments that you write. As a result, people are more likely to be respectful since anyone can see the comment. However, with private messaging, people know that only the intended recipient can see the message, so users may not think before posting. This could lead to many more disrespectful or inappropriate comments.

The Scratch Team also simply does not have the resources to moderate a private messaging system, precisely because there would be a lot of disrespectful or inappropriate comments. In addition, it is a huge Internet safety concern, and is not really the purpose of using Scratch anyway.

This suggestion extends to allowing users to post links to other private messaging websites, such as Discord. Many such messaging websites are not as well-moderated as Scratch is. If such links were allowed, Scratch may be held responsible if anything bad happens to someone.

Edit: Dagnabbit I was on the edit post page for too long talking with a friend and got ninja'd…

Okay, so here's the deal:
There are waaaay too many ways the “letters” only can be circumvented. Links can be typed as such: h t t p s : / / b l a h b l a h . c o m. Is this considered a link? Yes, but to a computer, no. Letters also doesn't consider the fact that you could say “one, two three, etc.”.

Last edited by DownsGameClub (March 5, 2020 02:51:06)

WindOctahedron

misteray wrote:
StevenTheSquare wrote:
This suggestion is rejected because people could bully using this or ask for personal info or other bad things
There could also be a blocking feature too.

That's rejected, too:

Za-Chary wrote:
8.6 Blocking users
This suggestion refers to an optional system that makes it so that you do not have to see comments that a particular user posts. This feature existed in Scratch 1.4, but the Scratch Team found that it buried the problem rather than solve it. Even if you block a user, that does not stop the user from harassing other Scratchers. If you are having a problem with a user, be sure to report that user with the Report button, or use Contact Us if the situation requires more explanation.

Now I'll highlight the points in the rejection of PMing that your post doesn't address:

Za-Chary wrote:
7.1 Private messaging
Scratch currently has public messaging, meaning anyone is able to see the comments that you write. As a result, people are more likely to be respectful since anyone can see the comment. However, with private messaging, people know that only the intended recipient can see the message, so users may not think before posting. This could lead to many more disrespectful or inappropriate comments.

The Scratch Team also simply does not have the resources to moderate a private messaging system, precisely because there would be a lot of disrespectful or inappropriate comments. In addition, it is a huge Internet safety concern, and is not really the purpose of using Scratch anyway.

This suggestion extends to allowing users to post links to other private messaging websites, such as Discord. Many such messaging websites are not as well-moderated as Scratch is. If such links were allowed, Scratch may be held responsible if anything bad happens to someone.

Anyway, please read this list before posting.

Last edited by WindOctahedron (March 5, 2020 08:24:15)

ResExsention

Forget letters.

Let's do a numbers only PM system instead!

Rejected at the moment. Nearly impossible to moderate with the ST's current staffing system and opens up private bullying and sharing of info.

If you need to talk to someone, just create a secluded studio or project, do a few things to make it hide from your profile page (you'd have to scroll through the list), and talk there. Of course the hard part would be getting the other person to find that studio, but you could reply to a super old comment of theirs so that only they get notified about it.

However, this isn't really “private messaging,” as it's still possible for others to see – they just need to have the patience and time to look for it.

Paddle2See

Sorry, no, still rejected for the reasons given in the Rejected Suggestions topic.

Note that even allowing just letters, you can spell anything, including numbers.

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