Scratch

Thanks for explaining.  The second part of my question has to do with figuring out whatever part of copyright would apply to  a Scratch project.  I haven't messed around at all with web postings before this for a context.  Could I share projects from the math gallery at a conference, acknowledging the source, but not asking permission from the creator?

I am also thinking I need to be sure my students know that anything they post can be downloaded and revised, that others may use their ideas for their own purposes.  I'll be curious to see if that matters to anyone.

I don't know what a GLP license is. 

From a user point of view, it would be easier if anyone who posts a project understands that doing so puts it out of their control, that others may do with it what they will.  From a creator's standpoint, if someone goes off and shares one of my or my students' projects, it would be nice to know that they aren't claiming it as their own.  It wouldn't bother me a whole lot since I took the risk in posting it in the first place.

I think the creative commons licenses are a very good model, and we are using them at UC Berkeley for student media that the authors want to share.

In regards to using shared scratch projects in a presentation at a conference, I would ask the author's permission, as a courtesy.  Most people are delighted when someone else appreciates their work and they may enjoy knowing about the conference, your paper's topic, etc.

Thanks for your math gallery additions, Kevin.   The math conference was Friday before your posting, but the teachers were excited by all the potential math applications.   I'm hoping others will add in, too.

I agree with your comments on structure for the postings.  I don't know anything at all about on-line communities elsewhere and how they evolve.  It is fun to be in on the beginning of this one.  Having subheadings for galleries with a particular audience in mind, like "Educators" would be a start.

PS: Can you tell me how to change the "new member" subheading under a log-in name?  I note that you are a "member," not a new one like we seem to be stuck with.

Last edited by room209 (2007-04-29 09:43:56)

I found out that to go from "New Member" to "Member" you have to post 10 times. However, we are now planning to lower the number to be just the first time someone posts.

It is so very cool to see how you all take a random comment like member tags and do something about it.  Thank you for the responsiveness.

Any efforts in using Scratch to educate on health matters

In regards to sharing and colaboration, one of the dangers is that Scratch site can be used as a gold mine of freely available ideas by large powerful software producers that can perfect the ideas, transfer them into more powerful languages, and have them marketed bypassing the original inventor. It could be beneficial to equip Scratch with full scripting power to allow equal competition. Furthermore, a board of Scratch experts could skim, scan and select the ideas with  the greatest potential and assist the inventor with its full development, have it protected and make it globally available to Scratch users. The inventor’s name could be used to encourage prospective inventors to share their ideas. Naïve programmers, who otherwise would never have their names mentioned or projects developed into fully functioning globally available software, would  have this unique opportunity.