Suggestion summary:
It would greatly improve accessibility of the Scratch website if users are able to prevent .gif files from playing, across the entire site. This should not be a default setting, but it would be really helpful if this was added as an optional accessibility feature, perhaps under “account settings”.

Explanation:
Right now, Scratchers are able to set GIF files as their profile picture, as a project or studio thumbnail, and include a GIF in their forum signature if they choose to do so. Generally, this is great! GIFs are fun and can make a project thumbnail seem more exciting. Profile pictures should support self-expression (within the community guidelines of course) and an animated image might be great for that.

However, GIFs also have a lot of accessibility issues. For Scratchers with sensory issues it can be really hard to focus on text while a gif is playing elsewhere on the page. It can be difficult to read animated text in a GIF picture. At their worst, fast and high-contrast GIFs are a seizure risk. Meanwhile, some people just find them annoying and distracting.

Yes, it is already possible to use third-party sites or extensions to turn off GIFs. But from an all-ages-friendly perspective, I don't think it's fair to expect an 8-year-old to install a chrome extension, or manipulate advanced firefox settings, just to prevent GIFs from playing on the site. Having such a setting in Scratch directly would also mean that the setting remains in place for each user, even if they log in from a different device.

My personal experience:
I currently use a chrome extension to disable animated images on Scratch. But, if I were to use a different device, without the extension installed - if I am reading a comment and the associated Scratcher's profile picture is an animation of a leaf gently falling, that's probably ok for me. A rapidly flashing rainbow dinosaur pfp is not. I think that if someone wants to have the latter GIF as their profile picture because it makes them happy, that's wonderful - but I also think that I should be able to choose not to see it if it poses accessibility concerns for me using the site.

I'd love to hear what you think of this idea! Since the purple-ification of the site was entirely to help mitigate some accessibility issues, I really want to bring the GIF problem to the Scratch Team's attention too.

What are your thoughts, everyone?

Edit:
Since it has been mentioned that the ST might not have the resources to implement this suggestion as originally described, I'm going to clarify that there are three workable solutions, any of which could solve the problem:

1. Animated files are permanently disabled on the Scratch website.
2. Animated files are temporarily disabled, until the ST gets enough funding/time/etc. to implement a toggle system.
3. There is a toggle which allows each user to choose whether they want to see animated files. (original idea) - if a user has the toggle off, they will only see the first frame of the animated file.

If anyone feels strongly about any of these options it would be great to mention it in a reply, as well as why you think it would/wouldn't work.

TL;DR:
GIFs are an accessibility problem for a few reasons, can we please have the option to turn them off.

Just ignore the gif. Scratch shouldn't make an entirely new feature for a small group of people who refuse to not look at gifs. I understand the sensory issues, but even then with sensory issues I'm sure a gif isn't like a hypnotizing animation that forces you to look at it until you close the page.

Gamer_Logan819 wrote:

Just ignore the gif. Scratch shouldn't make an entirely new feature for a small group of people who refuse to not look at gifs. I understand the sensory issues, but even then with sensory issues I'm sure a gif isn't like a hypnotizing animation that forces you to look at it until you close the page.

You don't get it; sensory issues are really bad. It's not about them being hypnotizing, they can trigger a person.
Google “sensory processing disorder” and see what I mean.

I also support this suggestion, even if I don't use it, it will help out a lot of people.

TeenySpoon wrote:

Gamer_Logan819 wrote:

Just ignore the gif. Scratch shouldn't make an entirely new feature for a small group of people who refuse to not look at gifs. I understand the sensory issues, but even then with sensory issues I'm sure a gif isn't like a hypnotizing animation that forces you to look at it until you close the page.

You don't get it; sensory issues are really bad. It's not about them being hypnotizing, they can trigger a person.
Google “sensory processing disorder” and see what I mean.

I also support this suggestion, even if I don't use it, it will help out a lot of people.

Trigger a person how?

Gamer_Logan819 wrote:

Trigger a person how?

As indicated by the OP:

Tris_das_Einhorn wrote:

However, GIFs also have a lot of accessibility issues. For Scratchers with sensory issues it can be really hard to focus on text while a gif is playing elsewhere on the page. It can be difficult to read animated text in a GIF picture. At their worst, fast and high-contrast GIFs are a seizure risk. Meanwhile, some people just find them annoying and distracting.

TeenySpoon wrote:

Gamer_Logan819 wrote:

Just ignore the gif. Scratch shouldn't make an entirely new feature for a small group of people who refuse to not look at gifs. I understand the sensory issues, but even then with sensory issues I'm sure a gif isn't like a hypnotizing animation that forces you to look at it until you close the page.

You don't get it; sensory issues are really bad. It's not about them being hypnotizing, they can trigger a person.
Google “sensory processing disorder” and see what I mean.

I also support this suggestion, even if I don't use it, it will help out a lot of people.

Thanks - I think that the number of people who would find this helpful is actually much higher than one might think. Similar to how the recent site changes don't matter to everyone, but they greatly improve the accessibility of the site for a still significant number of users.

For further clarification, here are a couple of links which explain in greater detail why GIFs which cannot be paused or hidden are an accessibility issue.

https://accessiblewebsiteservices.com/accessible-content-step-away-from-the-animated-gif/

https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/image-animated-gif/

Yes this should be in the accessibility update. not all people can handle gifs.

(removed)

This is a great idea! Support! Scratch Tram should really add this along with the changes in the accessibility update to Scratch!

Zydrolic wrote:

Scratch is nonprofit and runs on donations. How would they create a program to see what part of the GIF is fully with text?

The Scratch Team was able to make a high contrast mode, prevent unshared projects from being viewed via third-party applications, and update the entire editor to Scratch 3.0, all while being nonprofit and running on donations. I don't doubt that they could make the proposed suggestion work.

If the proposed suggestion were implemented, I assume that the GIF would pause on the first frame, so that the first frame of the GIF is what is displayed.

Za-Chary wrote:

(#11)

Zydrolic wrote:

Scratch is nonprofit and runs on donations. How would they create a program to see what part of the GIF is fully with text?

The Scratch Team was able to make a high contrast mode, prevent unshared projects from being viewed via third-party applications, and update the entire editor to Scratch 3.0, all while being nonprofit and running on donations. I don't doubt that they could make the proposed suggestion work.

If the proposed suggestion were implemented, I assume that the GIF would pause on the first frame, so that the first frame of the GIF is what is displayed.

Oight then,
you are correct, they did do all that.
It's just I don't feel like this could be done without alota issues (like most things), I'm still supporting and all, was just kind of curious and wanted to point this out.
About the frames part, fair enough.

Za-Chary wrote:

If the proposed suggestion were implemented, I assume that the GIF would pause on the first frame, so that the first frame of the GIF is what is displayed.

Yep, that's what I was thinking. That is how most browser-based extensions for this sort of thing work. The slightly better ones have a little bit of text in the corner that says the image is a GIF, so that even if I only see a static image, I know that whomever uploaded it intended for it to be seen as moving. If this suggestion were implemented, I'd like to see a feature like that, as it means that if someone posts, say, a meme as a GIF, I know that I might be missing necessary context because I only see a single frame of the animation.

I think it would be really nice if users who have the setting enabled can hover over a GIF to have it play through once (with the caveat that it must stop playing as soon as the mouse is no longer within the frame of the GIF). This still complies with the ADA and WCAG regulations because the user is always in control, a bit like how one can choose to immediately stop a Scratch project by pressing the stop sign. And it would mean that Scratchers could preview GIFs like this one-

Zydrolic wrote:

I'd share a GIF of me completing an UT Fangame(an attack specifically due to limits), how would that be? When would it pause? It contains multiple jokes, will it pause at the start since I include text for the whole thing?.

-one at a time, and decide if it is ok for them individually. But I acknowledge that that particular idea would also be super complicated to implement. As the Scratch Team has said before, functionality and accessibility come before aesthetics.

bump

PLEASE give me a TD;LR I have serious trouble reading long passages.

Zydrolic wrote:

I only have one slight argument against this, although I know i'll get bombarded.

Scratch is nonprofit and runs on donations. How would they create a program to see what part of the GIF is fully with text? I'd share a GIF of me completing an UT Fangame(an attack specifically due to limits), how would that be? When would it pause? It contains multiple jokes, will it pause at the start since I include text for the whole thing? (Also with some unfunny stuff so it counts as a meme because I do that in Homemade Memes)
(yes im an alt)

That's a few unanswered questions, but then again, Scratch runs off energy units which we're giving(/j) donations, so it'd be difficult.

I say support.

Yeah true.

Crispydogs101 wrote:

PLEASE give me a TD;LR I have serious trouble reading long passages.

GIFs are an accessibility issue and it would be great if individual users could have a setting to turn them off. Added TL;DR to the header post as well

bump again

Tris_das_Einhorn wrote:

(#13)
-one at a time, and decide if it is ok for them individually. But I acknowledge that that particular idea would also be super complicated to implement. As the Scratch Team has said before, functionality and accessibility come before aesthetics.

fair.
i shouldve thought of that

Zydrolic wrote:

Tris_das_Einhorn wrote:

(#13)
-one at a time, and decide if it is ok for them individually. But I acknowledge that that particular idea would also be super complicated to implement. As the Scratch Team has said before, functionality and accessibility come before aesthetics.

fair.
i shouldve thought of that

All good lol, I do agree that GIFs can be fun, useful and informative. It's just that the way they are currently allowed to be used on Scratch isn't super user-friendly for some.

Another reason I think this would be a good feature to implement is because sharing info about browser extensions that can do the same job is not allowed, as outlined in this post. I do understand the Scratch Team's decision there but if anything I think it supports this case as, if we're not allowed to discuss third-party sites because of younger users then the same younger users should have a feature within Scratch to make the site more accessible.