Scratch

axorion wrote:

Having a blue (user) object as a sensing block is an excellent idea. The argument against it is false and here is why.  Controlling behavior is always about accountability.  If someone uses the (user) object maliciously they can not hide their scripts nor their identity. Likewise, if someone contributes to cloud data they should not be allowed to do so anonymously.

There is also the issue of authors rights. If I want to use Windows 7, Microsoft has a right to know who I am. If you want to use my projects I reserve that same right. I like the fact that the users identity will be verified by the web site because it allows projects to have coding for admins. Imagine an MMO without admins. Yikes!

We will be logging cloud data flow for potential moderation issues, and restricting cloud-data projects only to logged in users. But given the significant amount of data in a short amount of time for projects like chatrooms, it would be hard to moderate.

Also, I don't think Microsoft has a right to know who their user is. That would be terrible. The only right Microsoft has is that the user has to adhere to the terms and conditions of the software license. Users sometimes give their identity related information to Microsoft, but that has always been optional, and I don't think it would change in the near future.

technoboy10 wrote:

sdg1 wrote:

KyleK7 wrote:

I've got an idea. Each Scratch user would be assigned a number, and that number would be their Game Identification Number. (GI# for short) There would be a block that would look like this:

ask for GI#

Nobody else except the user who was assigned the GI# would know what the user's GI# was. When asked what his/her GI# was, the user would simply enter it, and it would go straight to the Scratch database, and not even the project creator would know who the user was or what his/her GI# was. In the Scratch database the GI# would be translated into a user, and the user would show up on the high score list.

We have considered a similar possibility where the GI# is automatically assigned. I think a problem is how to express that as a block - Game Identification Number may make some people think that it's only for games, while an identifier like this would be useful for things like polls and surveys as well.

Perhaps a 'User ID Number?' (400th post!)

I've come up with a block:

(translated GI#)

add (translated GI#) to (list)