Scratch

Also, does the request to have it approved have to come from the owner of the site/forums? So if, for example, a banned user made a site, could someone who doesn't own the site request it to be approved?

cheddargirl wrote:

RedRocker227 wrote:

So you have to have a certain amount of posts? I think you should add that to the OP then 

There's no certain post requirement, but a well-established forum isn't empty either! 

A forum community with good standing is usually active, so it goes to reason that the forums should be filled with threads and posts. While there really isn't a quantification as to how many threads and posts are needed for establishment (forums largely depend on the community size), there should be enough to indicate to any passerby that the community is active and been standing up for a while. 

This is the problem for me.  I could leave my site out, running well, with good moderation, for 3 years and still get 0 hits.

Paddle, I remember asking you for approving my site and you said it could be approved on April 7th. Well, today happens to be April 7th, so I'll report the link. I'll just quote my old post to show you:

a1130 wrote:

Also, Paddle could you please approve my site? I will report the link just so you know later.

It was started sometime around the end of December/early January (not sure exactly when), but I think it should be at least three months old.

Here are some good qualities about my forum:

Security
*Before people register, they have to agree to follow the Scratch Community Guidelines (I even put a link to them in an announcement!)
*The forums are moderated by me and two other people, and I have rules that are strictly enforced (any violation of the rules will result in a ban warning, a temporary ban, and then a permanent ban.)
*We have a CAPTCHA that users have to enter during registration to prevent spam. Also, a random password is sent to the user's email address that they can change later. This prevents people entering fake emails and also prevents spam because the bots (usually) don't check their email.
*We ask users to verify if they are Scratchers, and we don't allow users to remain anonymous. If users impersonate and aren't who they say they are, they get banned.
*We can handle flames and trolling, and trolls and other disrespectful people immediately get perma-banned. I don't tolerate that kind of stuff...
*When users are log in, they are not exposed to any ads. This way users don't go to other sites on accident.

Censoring
*My forums have a censor system, and cussing isn't tolerated. People who try to get around the censor are usually banned or warned.
*Our censor also converts YouTube links to YouTube Repeat.

Discussion
*We make sure every topic has a discussion point, and if a topic is controversial or causes flames, we close it and warn the user.
*We have forums that allow Scratch-related discussions AND we have a Miscellaneous forum.
*We have a forum where only mods and admins can discuss. Regular members cannot see it either.
_____________________
Yeah, that's about it. Hopefully you will approve these 

a1130 wrote:

Paddle, I remember asking you for approving my site and you said it could be approved on April 7th. Well, today happens to be April 7th, so I'll report the link. I'll just quote my old post to show you:

Looks like a great set of forums with a well thought-out structure and set of guidelines! 

Is there any way to make it so that it doesn't require users to give you an email address though?  As you know, for safety reasons, we prefer that all communication be visible to the public and try to avoid using email whenever possible.

XenoK_Studios wrote:

I'd like to question this policy.  Formal protest.  How, are we supposed to recieve members, and posts, when we are not allowed to advertise the site on the forums.  The entire purpose of advertising, is to get your forum/website seen.  By taking away that freedom, we no longer have any users, or posts for that matter, and can not develop to your liking.  And I honestly am not going to go and make a whole bunch of fake users, and post on my forums just so I can get it approved, because that would be wrong, and inefficient.  Using this method is useless, because soon, if this rule continues, there won't be any sites to be approved, because we can't get any traffic.  Without any traffic, we are unable to get posts.  And without posts, the site can't gets approved, and we start all over again.

What I'm trying to say is, what you are doing here, is wrong.  What you need to do, is allow scratchers to apply to be approved.  Put that site on your watchlist.  After three months, of advertising, and having been existed, go to that website, and see if it has met your standards.  The con is, something bad could develop thereafter, so have someone actively monitor it.  Like community moderators, people could be granted special permissions to go out and monitor certain websites.

Scratch isn't meant for advertising your forums/site. I'm pretty sure that the main reason that the Scratch Team doesn't like users advertising forums or a website with comments is that not all the websites made by Scratchers have good moderator or censoring. The websites could get inappropriate comments or posts.

If you would like to advertise your website or forums, you should do it on another website.

funelephant wrote:

Ecliptic wrote:

XenoK_Studios wrote:

I'd like to question this policy.  Formal protest.  How, are we supposed to recieve members, and posts, when we are not allowed to advertise the site on the forums.  The entire purpose of advertising, is to get your forum/website seen.  By taking away that freedom, we no longer have any users, or posts for that matter, and can not develop to your liking.  And I honestly am not going to go and make a whole bunch of fake users, and post on my forums just so I can get it approved, because that would be wrong, and inefficient.  Using this method is useless, because soon, if this rule continues, there won't be any sites to be approved, because we can't get any traffic.  Without any traffic, we are unable to get posts.  And without posts, the site can't gets approved, and we start all over again.

What I'm trying to say is, what you are doing here, is wrong.  What you need to do, is allow scratchers to apply to be approved.  Put that site on your watchlist.  After three months, of advertising, and having been existed, go to that website, and see if it has met your standards.  The con is, something bad could develop thereafter, so have someone actively monitor it.  Like community moderators, people could be granted special permissions to go out and monitor certain websites.

Scratch isn't meant for advertising your forums/site. I'm pretty sure that the main reason that the Scratch Team doesn't like users advertising forums or a website with comments is that not all the websites made by Scratchers have good moderator or censoring. The websites could get inappropriate comments or posts.

If you would like to advertise your website or forums, you should do it on another website.

-_- smh. He means the whole purpose of the website is for scratch.

Still, if it has a comment or forum system anyone can post inappropriate or offensive things, which then Scratchers would see if he linked them to his website.

Ecliptic wrote:

XenoK_Studios wrote:

Ecliptic wrote:

Still, if it has a comment or forum system anyone can post inappropriate or offensive things, which then Scratchers would see if he linked them to his website.

yet again, the whole purpose of the site is solely for scratch.  It's forums are a small part of it, and is all moderated by Eternity Inc.'s proven council of representing leaders.  You missed the whole point.  Even with a moderating system, they still won't allow it, because it has no posts.  Please stay off of the subject, if you have no background with the matter.  Now, I have an informal protest on my hands.

Actually, I do have experience with the Scratch Team allowing websites.

If you want to make a website which is allowed to be advertised on Scratch, make it without a forum or comment system. Your protest won't do anything, the Scratch Team would only consider it if you had a valid argument.

just look at the chain of quotes.  I think I have a valid argument.  And now, you're really starting to annoy me.

short answer: no thanks, and your input isn't at all valued here, in any way shape or form.  I'm going to have to ask you to stop.  Just stop.  I want to settle this peacefully.  Why can't you just accept the fact that this policy has been put here for a reason, and if they didn't want to allow forums at all, they wouldn't have put this up in the first place.  I am only trying to suggest a new, and improved way to put member created websites through the approval process.  Just, you are sounding very disrespectful to me, and as a result, I've started to sound disrespectful.  I don't like it.  We'll just settle it at that.

a1130 wrote:

XenoK_Studios wrote:

GeonoTRON2000 wrote:

This is the problem for me.  I could leave my site out, running well, with good moderation, for 3 years and still get 0 hits.

PROTEST!!!!!!  This policy is inefficient, and is not going to solve anything.

I agree. Most of these forums are intended for a mod or for Scratch. Advertising on the Scratch Forums is the only way to get users. (well, maybe advertising on Scratch-approved forums could be another way, if they allow linking)

+1

Paddle2See wrote:

a1130 wrote:

Paddle, I remember asking you for approving my site and you said it could be approved on April 7th. Well, today happens to be April 7th, so I'll report the link. I'll just quote my old post to show you:

Looks like a great set of forums with a well thought-out structure and set of guidelines! 

Is there any way to make it so that it doesn't require users to give you an email address though?  As you know, for safety reasons, we prefer that all communication be visible to the public and try to avoid using email whenever possible.

Sorry for the late reply.

I don't want to know other people's email, but on PunBB Hosting all admins and mods can see user emails. The announcement is outdated (I just removed it), I already turned off the email verify feature. You can enter a fake email address if you wanted to. The email verification was put into effect because we had too much spammers, but it became too much of a hassle so I removed it.

Paddle2See wrote:

RedRocker227 wrote:

Also, does the request to have it approved have to come from the owner of the site/forums? So if, for example, a banned user made a site, could someone who doesn't own the site request it to be approved?

Yes, it has to be the actual owner of the site. Blocked users will have to wait until their access to Scratch is restored before they can make use of Scratch services (such as advertising rights).

Okay, thanks. 

@a1130; Paddle generally doesn't notice posts here unless you report them to be answered (he can't check every single post, after all). 

RedRocker227 wrote:

Paddle2See wrote:

RedRocker227 wrote:

Also, does the request to have it approved have to come from the owner of the site/forums? So if, for example, a banned user made a site, could someone who doesn't own the site request it to be approved?

Yes, it has to be the actual owner of the site. Blocked users will have to wait until their access to Scratch is restored before they can make use of Scratch services (such as advertising rights).

Okay, thanks. 

Sorry for this response being kind of late, but let me guess... ADK's Forums, isn't it.