Scratch

I would like to be a curator because I've been on scratch for a while now and have some pretty good projects and I like helping other scratchers make games. Thanks for reading hope you pick me.

Scratch on!

FartLIck2010 wrote:

I would really like to be a curator.

I would pick projects that are good but that little to noone has seen.

Uh... the ST has a reputation for not picking people to do stuff like this that have inappropriate usernames... No offense... 

Hey there peoples! This is my fourth attempt at getting the curator spot, so here goes (you might need like an hour spare)...

I'm sorry that this is quite long, and is wasting forum space, I just want it to get noticed so I bump it at the start of each month.

So, uh, looking back on the masses of entries, I'm realising there's little chance I'll get picked. However, I think I'd make quite a good curator. I'd certainly love to have a go, anyways - it would be an epic learning curve.
Some users are kinda lazy - they restrict their browsing to the front page. They assume that if it's not on the front page or made by a famous user, it's not worth their time. People don't even follow links in sigs any more, most traffic is directed to the front page content. This is usually the case with new users - they don't realise quite how much choice they have in the way of projects here. I think that's why you see lots of comments from new members on popular Scratcher's projects. They seem to idolise SpriteMaster, Astro947, all the well-known members. It's nice to see that they are discovering Scratch starting at the front page (and have someone they look up to), but it is also sad that they seem unaware of just how many projects there are to pick from! They think 30-second animations are the best this site has to offer - and before they learn otherwise they see how repetitive the front page can be, and leave.
The Scratch front page is like a museum - reserved and meant for quality; the best of the best. I can help to keep it that way. I just need a chance: I could repay you all if you let me *puppy dog eyes*. I would update my favourites regularly, perhaps every 1-3 days; so more projects would have the chance to be curated. This would give more users an opportunity to S H I N E!
For example, let's think about yay scratch cat, by Blade-Edge. It's nowhere near front page standard, yet as Blade is popular here on the forums, he had no problems with getting a spinning cat to the front page. There was uproar, but it stayed there, in the space usually associated with the best Scratch have to offer. It was funny at first, andd it triggered many theories about the true meaning of the spinning kitty. But now, lots of people are shamelessly copying yay scratch cat, thinking they can achieve it's success. Unfortunately, some of these clones make it to the front page, if only for a day.
I will not curate yay scratch cat 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 78. Or even yay gobo. Just saying.
See, I would make sure that no projects from well-known Scratchers make it into the coveted Curated row. Or spinning Scratch cats, for that matter.
I like to go against the grain, so if I was a curator I would avoid featuring your usual glitchy games with irritatingly long names, and your unfunny, badly-scripted cartoons where only the mouth is animated. It's not hard to throw together a quick 30-second clip of a stickman punching another stickman - I would pick games that require a little more brainpower than that. I like physics engines, where physics is fun, not just a stretchy line. Now a stretchy smiley face, that would be FUN, not just a boring school-type presentation. No-one wants math creeping into their free time.
I would also make sure that the owners of the projects were active before I curated their work. It's a lot nicer when the creator is there to acknowledge their comments and at least know they have been curated. I find it nice when people try to reply to all their comments, it shows the person cares that you are interested in their masterpiece!
In addition to this, as much as I like a good old-school Mario-type platformer, you find a lot of them about. Most are dodgy adaptations of the Scrolling Template you get with Scratch 1.4, and others are equally irritating; as there is no use of physics so the characters flies wildly upwards, shoots up through a platform, and gets stuck at the top of the screen. So yeah - I would veer away from so-so scrolling platformers, and opt for less mainstream kinds of projects.
I'll try to curate projects that can inspire other Scratchers to try and make their own version or remix. If a new member with no good ideas found a good template or base project, it would give them the option to build on from it or even work out how the scripts work. We all learn from experience!
I don't mean the 'Add yourself taking a dump on Weegee'-type things. Remix cahins are the bane of Scratch. They require zero skill and zero intelligence. I mean projects that are open-ended, ready for you to try out your newly-acquired programming skills.
I'll try to choose projects that are interesting, and quirky. Yeah, I don't care that people make fun of my musical taste, and I'd like to pick project whose creators are passionate about something - for example, someone who makes a really cool animation about animal rights. As long as it's not a blag or brings in politics or religion. I'd pick projects that make their creator's voice heard. I don't mean hate projects about how you want Justin Bieber to spontaneously combust, I mean, for example, an animation of an animal talking to his friend who is a handbag made of animal skin or something cool like that. It would be a change to Dreary Platformer Without Physics v1.0 all the time.
Also, I wouldn't allow inappropriate or potentially offensive material leak on to the front page. Scratch is for everyone, not just girls, boys, or over 13s.
If you want to have a rough idea of what I like, look in my favourites. There are a few good unknown projects there in amongst the stuff I randomly add because it includes Jedward or a funny story. Okay, I'll admit, I only rarely add to my favourites, and I see the curator position as an opportunity and a motivation to look at my favourites more. It would make me want to champion the best unknown programmers out there. I'll dedicate more time to the main website and divert my attention away from the forums. I think the forums were intended as a kind-of supplement to the main website, to discuss programming. But now, it seems like a distraction to me. Curation is an opportunity I would not be willing to waste. The only reason I would use the forums would e to ask for suggesions on projects worthy of curation.
Some of my real-life friends have good projects too - I would not prioritise them, but I would consider maybe curating one good project from my friends. Our class has some talented programmers! They picked up Scratch very quickly when I first taught our IT lesson and created simple instructions to make an easy game.
I'm not after the position for the glory, or the fame. I wanna make sure the popularity is shared out. I mean, 08jackt is on the front page a lot. As was TheExplodingCheez, but then when he left, he took the popularity with him, and there was one less famous Scratch figure for people to look up to. No-one really knew who to follow after TEC left. And GlitchSprite. The forums were flooded with sentimental slushy memorial threads. People even proposed to Mr. Happyman! So what would happen if 08jackt left? Everyone would be a bit lost without their idol telling them what to do. Who would take his place? How many people would offer to take over Radar? We would need a new genius programmer to fill his shoes.
We would need someone new as a replacement, a user with innovative games to make it to stardom. I will find that user - or try my best to! I'll search ages to find the best projects for curation, and, well, curate them. Obviously.
Not to mention, I'm on the website every day, so I could regularly check the New Projects column and just stop to browse.
You probably think I'm aiming too high, one two-week shift in the curator spot won't make a difference to the Scratch community. But I'm sure that with dedication, it could. I might even hijack the odd IT lesson at school to send my classmates off on a Scratch adventure; off in search of projects for me to curate. Who says Scratch is confined to the internet? Everyone in my class has unique taste, so they could be a useful asset!
I would make the most out of the time as curator, and even read spam on my projects left by people in search of the next big thing. I wouldn't snub them, or be Captain Obvious and scold them for spamming: I would look at them all individually, and assess them for curation. If they weren't what I was looking for, I would still leave constructive criticism. On top of all this, I would create a topic in Miscellaneous where people could nominate projects for me to look at. That way I have more chance of pleasing a wider audience, as other people have an imput on what I curate.
I would focus on projects that have very few views, maybe below 50, and are from unknown users. It takes skill to track down these hidden gems and I think I could handle it. Also, I like rough diamonds: the games might generally need new graphics, or cleaning up and removing glitches, but if as a whole the game is a one-of-a-kind project and is quite frankly amazing, it will be considered. Sometimes, aesthetic perfection is not necessary.
I'll only curate projects created by people with positive attitudes and who are polite. I think it's a bit mean when you spend a good few minutes typing your praise, and you get no reply. You've made the effort and they should too - I find it annoying if you put: 'This is amazing! I've never seen anything so cool on Scratch, I could never do this! Great job! Loved and favourited' and you get this back...
'Thx'
Is there even any point in replying to that? It's kinda annoying...
It's nice when the reply is similar to 'Thanks! Glad you like it' or something a bit less monosyllabic.
I think the best games are simple ones. When you play a game, you don't want to be flooded with daunting variables, or have to memorise the controls of 13 different keys in order to play. The best games are the simplest. Take TuffGhost's Milk Run for example. Tuff is fairly well-known, and had help creating the game; but it's so SIMPLE. You have to run to the shop, while dodging obstacles, get the milk, and run back. Only 3 keys are required to play, and there is no need for instructions. The graphics are basic yet effective, and the overall effect is amazing. I wouldn't curate it as TuffGhost already got a lot of attention over this game, but if a new member could come up with a game of similar standards and with no help, I would definitely consider it!
I love a good simulation too. It takes a lot of skill and a talented programmer to create a true-to life-simulation. I am yet to see one which features customising a house, shopping, etc etc. If anyone knows of a glitch-free example, Please tell! Just today I found a cool dating simulation, at last! Another appealing type of project is a side-scroller with a connecting story. It gives the player a motivation to finish the game and give sthe impression that you are on an adventure!
Another type of project I like is a cool demonstration of a glitch, like Unclemat95's screenshots of the Ghost Gobo glitch. It works, and it very cool too!
If, during my time as a curator, a popular holiday was being celebrated, e.g. easter, I would update my favourites with themed projects. This would make the front page look up-to-date and cared for. I hate it when websites still say 'Merry Christmas' in March! Also, seasonal projects tend to be popular too, so maybe I would pick some about the month (what I mean is, if I was curator in April, maybe something related to April Showers). Hey, there's a St. Patrick's Day project here, made by a popular user. It would be nice if lesser-known Scratchers would do that sort of thing more often too.
This is what happened with Chilean Miners Escape. The creator saw an opportunity to make an up-to-date game and it gathered a large fanbase. Because of this, I would search for projects based on recent news stories. Yeah, thinking about it, I'm considering making a Eurovision game myself now! Heh, I inspired myself.
I will look more into the projects I curate, make sure all credit is given where it is due, and look at how it was made. And also check there is no cussing in the scripts (ever read the scripts in 'University Escape'?, well don't). Oh, and the project's creator should be a good role model, willing to offer advice and reply to comments.
I'm not uber-fussy, but I won't curate projects made by trolls, spammers or boastful people. I'm no Grammar Nut, but I would refrain from curating projects with awful grammar or spelling. I know it's easy to make typos, but proofreading pays off. If it is out of context, u ish mai frend lawl is a bit extreme, frankly. It ruins the whole project if you have to decode all the leet speak text in it!
You know the Scratch motto? Imagine, Program, Share? Well, I'll make sure projects are Imagined: Totally original, and out there (taking risks can pay off)  -  Programmed: Well, not just a spinning cat or a badly-drawn sprite with a colour effect  -  Shared: Well, obviously.
I comment a lot on projects, and have a history of fairly positive interactions on the site. Someone even thought I was on the Scratch Team! I try to be helpful/creative, but not too boring!
But just to remind you, I'm not signing up for myself. I want to help Scratch how it has helped me. My IT teacher is very pleased, I taught a Scratch lesson which went down well, and the Head of IT in my school has taken down my username so he can use my stuff as an example at meetings with other teachers in the county. I know how great it is to feel a tiny bit 'famous', and I want others to enjoy the movie-star experience here on Scratch. You know, being constantly praised, asked for interviews, masses of users following your every move/project...
I haven't experienced all this stuff yet, but maybe hard work will pay off...
At the moment, there are lots of people unhappy with the front page, and they are really starting to get frustrated. It seems that only projects from famous Scratchers make it onto the front page, while less-known talented Scratchers don't get a look in. If you ever check Misc, you'll see that there have been many topics about a decline in quality on the site. Many people believe that we should bring games back, and take inpiration from m44, and Colkadome. Back in the day.
Yes, I think it would be an enlightening experience. I have always felt a pang of jealousy when I look at the curator's row. How amazing, being able to make so many people happy! Everyone sees you in a new light, and with a new-found respect. I don't care about the respect, but it would be a bit weird, in a good way!
Quirky, different projects are my thing! Oh, and I found a few good projects soon after they were uploaded, they were later featured! I have a nose for quality, not quantity. I would refrain from featuring series' as i just don't think it works; unless it is a magazine. Magazines are awesome, as long as they're free from gossip about other users. Animated series' only end up running for a few episodes, as the creator cannot keep up with demand for the next instalment. The quality drops, jokes run dry, and the series end in an explosion. Usually. If you kill off the main characters you have an excuse to stop making episodes, right?
It never ceases to amaze me how dedicated some new users are. They are pursuing a dream of becoming known, and I'd like to make sure those that visit the site regularly get a bit of recognition. People like them keep the website running and the Scratch Team's work worthwhile.
This speech simplified: For those of you too lazy to read it all, I like unique types of projects that aren't often seen, by by people with a good reputation, yet are relatively unknown.
Some people doubt me, think that I'm a bit thick, and some see me as annoying. I'm here to prove that I CAN grow as a person and as a Scratcher. I do have a functioning brain beneath my emo fringe! I can do you proud!
So yeah, that's my application. Advice and constructive criticism is appreciated. I don't want to make this much longer, it's looking a bit hard-to-read, more like a novel than an application! Maybe I should double-enter a bit! I'm hoping this isn't a load of waffle, I keep getting ideas in my head so I just keep revising! So I guess now it's time to just wait it out, hopefully the Scratch Team has a spare hour or so to read all of this. I'm committed, so I typed out this whole novel. I hope you see the effort I've put into this. Some other kind members have commented on this, saying they think I should be chosen as curator, so uh, yeah! The Scratch Team will be able to see some people actually support me! I'm so thankful to them.
Thanks for reading!

A note to the people saying 'there's more to a speech than length, this is begging/waffle': please read this speech properly before you judge. I know it's long, but all the stuff in there is relevant, and why pick on me when I've put in so much effort? I'm open to feedback, as long as it's not 'blah blah this is begging it's like too long blah'. And for the sake of forum space - if you quote this, edit out the speech. Last time I posted this, three posts ended up wasting half a page when the actual comment was about 2 lines long!

Note: Scratch Team - if you choose me, would it be possible to curate from my Planet-Jedward account, to make sure my favourited projects don't get mixed up? Never mind, I was just wondering. Is it possible?

Last edited by The_Dancing_Donut (2011-06-02 11:42:15)

scimonster wrote:

I just skimmed it. 
You deserve it. Maybe you'll get the message soon, from one of the older ones.

Thanks scimonster, I hope so ^^
I just keep adding to it. I need a word count of it now XD

scimonster wrote:

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

scimonster wrote:

I just skimmed it. 
You deserve it. Maybe you'll get the message soon, from one of the older ones.

Thanks scimonster, I hope so ^^
I just keep adding to it. I need a word count of it now XD

3161. <-- word count
3750. <-- post count

My God, how did I type so much?! D:
And lol, I picture you sitting there counting every word by hand XD 1, 2... 3...

lilacfuzz101 wrote:

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

scimonster wrote:

3161. <-- word count
3750. <-- post count

My God, how did I type so much?! D:
And lol, I picture you sitting there counting every word by hand XD 1, 2... 3...

... or copying and pasting into word and using word count? 

Oh yeah *facepalm* 
Feedback?

lilacfuzz101 wrote:

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

lilacfuzz101 wrote:

... or copying and pasting into word and using word count? 

Oh yeah *facepalm* 
Feedback?

i got like half way through but i think you have a good chance    i like your idea of curating stuff to inspire people to remix and not of the "add yourself" variety 

Thanks lilacfuzz ^_^

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

(speech not quoted due to massiveness)

That was a great speech! I mean really! I know you will get picked. I know you will. If I got picked for my 1000 word speech, then you will. Trust me. If you think it won't happen and that the scratch team isn't listening, you're wrong. They are reading it, and they are thinking about you as a curator. I never thought I would get picked, but eventually, I was. If you can't get picked because of that speech, then no-one can.

Necromaster wrote:

Another try at a speech:

Hey, this is Necromaster, and I would like to become a curator. I know there are a ton of entries, though a lot of them contain only the words: "I want to be curator". I spent awhile on this speech, even if it may not look it. Anyway, here goes: I have been on the site for 4 years now, although I created this account in 2010? (I think.) If I'm curator, I would curate a diversity of projects, but only ones that I felt had time put into them. They might not necessarily be completely amazing and mind blowing, but they would at least have time put into them. They would be generally interactive projects, not just a blank screen that had some random joke/saying on it. For example, I'm talking about projects that are original, well, not completely, but at least not a complete copy of another's. Like this project by benjamindragonpants, Loki RPG, or RQ Legends: Ragnarok.

Another example of this would be St7rfiter's Cataclysm

Thanks, and Scratch on!

-Necro

You don't need to post a new one on every page!

Slow down! 

lilacfuzz101 wrote:

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

scimonster wrote:

3161. <-- word count
3750. <-- post count

My God, how did I type so much?! D:
And lol, I picture you sitting there counting every word by hand XD 1, 2... 3...

... or copying and pasting into word and using word count? 

Correct. 

I would very much like to be a curator, then, some of the scratchers that I like, but other people don't really know about, could get the views they deserve.

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

Optimax-DJ wrote:

The_Dancing_Donut wrote:

(speech not quoted due to massiveness)

That was a great speech! I mean really! I know you will get picked. I know you will. If I got picked for my 1000 word speech, then you will. Trust me. If you think it won't happen and that the scratch team isn't listening, you're wrong. They are reading it, and they are thinking about you as a curator. I never thought I would get picked, but eventually, I was. If you can't get picked because of that speech, then no-one can.

Thank you so much for the encouraging advice 
Glad yoyu think the speech is okay! 

I like yoyos. 
And Optimax-DJ is right: If you can't get picked because of that speech, then no-one can. 

Does anyone know who the next curator will be?