Scratch

~The ULTIMATE Scratch Manual~

~Contents~

Contents
Introduction
Made By

Chapter 1: Download and install
Chapter 2: The Interface
Chapter 3: Blocks
Chapter 4: Working with Scratch *Still editing
Chapter 5: Start into the Scratch world *Still editing
Chapter 6: The New User's Handbook- By Joeyman
Chapter 7: Guide to the Forums- By 06dknibbs
Chapter 8: Attack of the Scratch Hacker, and what to do to BE SAFE!- By Terminator68

Further Reading
Bibliography
Conclusion

Made By

Greatdane
Joeyman
Cheddargirl
Terminator68

~Introduction~

     Oh hi there! You must be new here. I have made this topic as an ultimate guide for Scratch. Right now it includes the fundamentals of Scratch, and I will add more later, as it is always a work in progress.

     A bit about me

    My username is Greatdane, and I have been Scratching continuously for 2 and a half years. I am older than 95% of all of the users on Scratch. You know what that means, right? Yes, I am a good source of help. I love any kind of questions you have, and you can post them in this topic. I'll answer when I get to check them. I always enjoy constructive feedback, so give me some while you read! 

    I didn't actually start with Scratch. I had worked with Java and Scratch before, and they just didn't stick. Scratch was the one that stuck. A quote from a 'book' I may write:

I was around nine when my Dad introduced me to programming. He himself was a computer engineer, and I was always interested in how computers worked. I first worked with Alice, a marvelous 3-D programming environment. Then, I realized Alice's limitations as I got more hard-core on it. I moved on to Java, however, I realized I could not program with such a powerful programming language at such a young age. Then, in a Peet's Coffee and Tea place, he introduced me to something new: Scratch. Yet somehow, it stuck.

So now you know my story.

    How to use

    I have different kinds of headings. A heading is blue and bold, a chapter orange and bold, and subsection just bold. Tooltips and Infacts are green and bold. An InFact and ToolTip are basically the same. They're both stuff that is both related and unrelated. I put them in seperate groups. Sometimes, if a concept is hard to understand, I make projects to demonstrate.

    Hope you enjoy your time on Scratch!

Chapter 1: Download and install

     Scratch is a free programming language designed for kids made by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT for short). It is written in Squeak. To download scratch, first go to http://scratch.mit.edu/ (home). Then, look in the near top-right corner and you will see a blue download button. With your parent's permission, press it and then you come to a screen in which you have to fill up stuff. Don't pay attention to that. just press next, and press the installer, Mac or Windows (linux is currently developing) and it will install the latest version of scratch for you. You need to accept the terms of agreement (with parent permission) and just press next. It will take a while, but in the end, you have scratch.

Chapter 2: The interface

     For the interface, I suggest going here. (requires Adobe Acrobat, and please right click and select "open link in new tab" )

***EDIT-This is WAY outdated. DO NOT RELY. I will post something soon to help introduce the interface.***

Chapter 3: Blocks

For this chapter, I will divide it into nine sections.

Section 1: Motion[blocks]
<move( any amount )steps> means to move the number of pixels typed in the box.

<turn cw( any amount )degrees> means to turn right -> the number of pixels typed in the box.

<turn cw( any amount )degrees> is the same thing as
<turn cw(  and amount  )degrees>, but turns left <-.

<point in direction( any amount \/  makes the sprite point in the direction typed in the box. Pressing \/ makes a popup menu, in which you can select the choices.

<point towards( and sprite \/ makes the sprite point to the sprite or the mouse pointer selected in the the box. Pressing \/ opens a popup menu, which you can select from.

<go to x   any amount )y   any amount  makes the sprite go to the x and y typed in the boxes.
[/blocks]
Tooltips: X and Y
[
The x and y can be positive and negative numbers/integers. The diagram below can show.
                 
               |
negative  x| <--positive y
-- -- -- -- -- | -- -- -- -- --
negative y | positive x
        |---->|

This is not a very easy to understand concept, so let's look at it this way:

The y axis is sort of like the equator.

       equator
------------------------------------------------

The top of the equator, or the northern hemisphere, is positive y . This means that when you type a positive y, the sprite comes up in the "northern hemisphere" of the screen. When you type a negative value, the sprite ends up in the southern "hemisphere" of the screen. With x, however, it is the prime meridian.
                |
        prime meridian
                |
                |
                |
                |

If x is positive, then the sprite is in the eastern hemisphere, or visa versa.

You can look at this project, which shows you the x and y. And again, please right click and select "open link in new tab".

That ends this tooltip!
]
[blocks]
<go to[ anything \/ makes the sprite go to anything selected in the box. Pressing \/ makes a popup menu, use it to make choices.

<glide( any amount )secs to x   any amount  )y   any amount makes the sprite glide from the typed in x to y, in the typed in seconds.

<change x by( any amount changes the x by any amount.

<set x to( any amount sets the sprite's x to the any amount.

<change y by( any amount changes the y by any amount.

<set y to( any amount sets the sprite's y to the any amount.

<if on edge, bounce> if on the edge, makes the sprite bounce, or turn around 180 degrees.
[/blocks]
InFacts: Value Grabbers
[

A value grabber is a block that grabs any of a sprite's value.

]
[blocks]

<x position> grabs the x position of the sprite.

<y position> grabs the y position of the sprite.

<direction> grabs the direction of the sprite.
[/blocks]
That ends this InFact!
]
Whew! Aren't you tired of reading this? Then let's take a game break.
(Once again, please right click and press new tab    )
Remember: Don't play too long. Get back here!

Section 2: Looks[blocks]
<switch to costume[ any \/  changes what costume the sprite is using. \/ opens a popup menu in which you can select costumes.
<next costume> makes the sprite change to the next costume, or if it is the last costume, go to the beginning costume[/blocks]
Tooltips: Costumes
[
Costumes are like steps of an animation for your sprite to use. They're mostly for animating, but you can do other things with them. Costumes are various "faces" that your sprite switches to. Think of it like the name. You put on different costumes to look different. The sprite does then looks like the costume selected.
]
That ends this Tooltip![blocks]
<say[ any makes the sprite create a word bubble and puts words in it. The words depend on what is in the space.
<say[ any  ]for( any )secs>  even thought this seems the same as the "say" block, the say block just makes a word bubble. This block makes a word bubble and after "any" seconds, takes it down. You might consider which situations are best. Oh, and to make a sprite say nothing, take the say block and delete everything in the space. The sprite will say nothing.
<think[ any is the exact same as "say", but with a thinking bubble.
<think[ any ]for( any )secs> is the exact same as "think for secs", but with a think bubble.
<change[ \/ ]effect by( any uses the effect selected in the drop-down menu and changes it by the "any" number. If an effect is 0, then it does not show.[/blocks]
Tooltips: Graphic Effects
[
Graphic effects make sprites look, well, different.
There are 7 effects:
Color
Fisheye
Whirl
Pixelate
Mosiac
Brightness
Ghost
They all do what they sound like. Color changes the sprite's color, Fisheye makes the center of a sprite larger, Whirl "mixes" the sprite in a particular direction, Pixelate makes the sprite broader, Mosiac turns the sprite into smaller copies, Brightness controls the Brightness, and Ghost controls how transparent the sprite is. You can put negative values in the spaces to make them work in reverse, for instance, Fisheye will shrink the center of a sprite.
Play around with these and see what you get! (Why not both Whirl and Color at the same time?    )
(Really sorry no pictures are provided, I will try and find some.    )
]
That ends this Tooltip![blocks]
<set[  \/]effect to( any sets an efffect to a certain number.
<clear graphic effects> when finally, the time for graphic effects is over, use this block to clear all.
<change size by( any changes the size by "any".
<set size to( any )%> sets the size to any %. % stands for percent, which is a fraction of a number. 100% is the "normal" size, 5% is the smallest, and about 400% is the largest. (
<size> is just another value grabber. It grabs the size.
<hide> hides the sprite and its bubbles, similar to ghost effect = 100, but that has bubbles.
<show> shows the sprite and all its bubbles, similar to ghost effect = 0.[/blocks]
Tooltips: Layers
[
Layers decide which sprite is on top of another. For instance, a sprite overlaps another, but you want to see the sprite. You simply double-click on [blocks]<go to front>[/blocks], and the sprite will go on top.[blocks]
<go back( any )layers> makes the sprite go back "any" layers. A little useful trick is to put a negative, such as -1, and it actually makes the sprite go forward 1 layer. Kinda silly, isn't it?[/blocks]
]
That ends this Tooltip!

Section 3: Sound

Sound is important in a few projects. For instance, you can use sound in games, or other things. Sound in Scratch is a bit complicated, though.

To understand most of the sound in scratch, you need to understand music in general:



Each white or black key is a representation of that key in reality which usually produces a frequency of sound, the ripples of molecules in the air, either through plucking strings or loudspeakers otherwise, which makes the eardrum in our ears vibrate, sending signals or pulses translated by the coclea...
Ok. Maybe a bit too early. Now, let's think a bit more simply here. An interval is the distance between two notes, including those two notes. Now there are eight basic notes, that repeat over and over again as you go up the piano: A, B, C, D, E, F, and       G. Scratch uses an interface called MIDI. Just hold on with me now.
[blocks]
<play sound[ \/ ]> plays a sound from the drop down menu. You can import sounds from going to the sound tab and pressing "import sound", or record your own.

<play sound[ \/ ]and waits> also plays a sound, but it waits for the sound to end then continues.

<stop all sounds> stops all current sounds

<play drum( \/ )for( sec )secss> plays a drum from the drop-down menu for sec seconds.

<play note( \/ )for( sec )secss> almost the same, except it plays a note from an instrument. Sixty is Middle C. (Middle C is C at the middle of the keyboard)

<set instrument to( \/)> sets the instrument that <play note(  )for(  )secss> plays.
[/blocks]

Section 4: Pen

Allright, let's go on with pen. When pen is down, the sprite draws, when it is up, the sprite releases the pen. You can also stamp the sprite.

[blocks]
<clear> clears the stage of markings.

<pen down> puts the pen down(makes the sprite draw)

<pen up> pulls the pen up(can't draw any more)

<change pen color by( color )> changes the pen color by "color"

set pen color to ( color )> sets the pen color to "color"

<change pen shade by( shade )> changes the pen shade(brightness) by "shade"

<set pen shade to( shade )> changes the pen shade by "shade"

<change pen size by( size )> changes the pen's size by "size"

<set pen size to( size )> sets the pen's size to "size"

<stamp> stamps a copy of the sprite onto the stage.
[/blocks]

That's pretty much pen.

Section 5: Control

This section is kinda long, so bear with me.
Some of these blocks have "hats" like:
[blocks]
<when green flag clicked>
[/blocks]
These blocks are triggered by a certain event.
[blocks]

<when green flag clicked> Triggers when the green flag is clicked.

<when[ key ]key pressed> Triggers when the key "key" is pressed.

<when[ object ]clicked> when the object you're working on is clicked

<wait(  )secsc> waits a certain amount of seconds

<forever> repeat forever, or until the program is stopped.
<end>

<repeat( )> repeats a certain amount of times
<end>

[/blocks]
Tooltips: Broadcasts
[
A broadcast is when a sprite sends out a signal.
[blocks]
<broadcast[ ]> broadcasts a message

<broadcast[  ]and wait c> also broadcasts a message, but waits for the sprites who received the action to finish

<when I receive[ ]> the hat block that is triggered when a message is broadcasted.
[/blocks]
]
That ends this Tooltip!
[blocks]

<if> when something it true, this is triggered
<end>

<if> same as if, but if something isn't true...
<else> it does something else.
<end>

<forever if> is the same as
<end>

<forever>
<if>
<end>
<end>

<wait until> waits until something is true, then continues

<repeat until> repeats something until something is true
<end>

<stop script> stops the stack of blocks, or scripts

<stop all> stops the whole project.
[/blocks]

Section 6: Sensing

This allows sprites to sense their surroundings.
[blocks]

<mouse x> grabs the mouse x

<mouse y> grabs the mouse y

<mouse down?> is the mouse down?(you are clicking the mouse)

<key[  ]pressed?> if a certain key is pressed

<touching[ ]> if it is touching something

<touching color[ ]> if it is touching a color

<color[  ]is over[ ]> if a certain colored part is touching a color

<distance to[ ]> the distance to another sprite
[/blocks]

Tooltips: Timer
[
A timer times a certain period. If you leave the timer on, you can see how much you've worked.
[blocks]

<reset timer> resets the timer to zero

<timer> a grabber for the timer value
[/blocks]
]
That ends this tooltip!
[blocks]

<loudness> grabs how loud it is(if you have a microphone)

<loud?> if a certain sound is loud enough
[/blocks]
You know, I've noticed we're going kinda quickly, aren't we? You're doing a GREAT job! Keep on going!

Section 7: Numbers and operators

Much of this is self-explanatory, so I'll just say a bit.
[/blocks]

((  <+>  )) addition

((  <->  )) subtraction

((  <*>  )) multiplication

((  </>  )) division

<pick random(  )to( )> picks a random number between the two selected

<(  <<>  )> less than

<(  <=>  )> equal to

<(  <>>  )> greater than

<<  <and>  >> and; if both are true, continue

<<  <or>  >> or; if one or both are true, continue

<<  <not>  >> if not

((  <mod>  )) when you divide, the remainder, like 3/2 is 1 remainder 1.

<abs( )> the absolute value, the distance from zero on a number line

<round( )> rounded to the nearest 1

[/blocks]
There is another block to select trig and stuff, but don't deal with that right now.

Section 8: Variables

Yay! It's the last section!
Alright, let's talk about variables.

Let's say you have 1.
You want to store 1 somewhere.
Let's make a variable n.
[blocks]
<set{ n }to( 1 )>
[/blocks]
And you're done! N is now equal to 1!

[blocks]

<change{ n }by(  )> changes n by a number

<set{ n }to( )> sets n to a number

<{ n }> grabs the value of n
[/blocks]

Section 9: New blocks

Unfortunately, the Scratch blocks array did not update, so I will need to post all other blocks here, as they cannot be represented with pictures.

A: Sound blocks

change volume by (  )Changes volume of the sound by ().
set volume to (  )Sets the volume of the sound to ().
volumeThe intensity of the volume(from 0 to 100).
change tempo by ( )Changes the beats per minute by ().
set tempo to ( ) bpmBPM stands for beats per minute. Sets the BPM to ().
tempoHow many beats per minute.

B: Sensing blocks

ask[  ] and wait asks the user for text input. Really cool!
answer the answer block. When you ask something, this is the input the user gives back.

C: 'Operator' blocks

join [   ] [   ] joins the two text boxes. For instance, join [hello] [world] produces 'helloworld'.
letter (  ) of [   ] finds the letter. Like letter (1) of [ hello ] is 'h'.
length of [   ] self explanatory. The length of whatever you type or put in there. For example, length of [ hi ] is '2'.

D: Variable blocks

You remember when we talked about variables? Sometimes, you want to store multiple accounts of something, like:
[ hi , blah, bybye ]

In other words, you want to store multiple sets of information in one thing. You can't make a ton a variables, so you have something called a list.

(   ) The list combined. Like the variable grabber. The list [h , e, l, l, o] produces 'hello'.
add [   ] to [  \/] Adds a thing to the end of the list.
[ hi] + add [ he ] to [mylist] = [ hi, he]
delete ( ) of [  \/] Delete the item number in the number entry box.
[hi, he] + delete (2) of [ mylist ] = [hi]
insert [   ] at (  ) of [  \/] Inserts something at the number entry box.
[hi, he] + insert [ doh   ] at (2) of [mylist] = [hi, doh, he]
replace item ( ) of [  \/ ] with [   ] Replaces an item in the number box.
[hi , he] + replace item (2) of [mylist] with [doh] = [hi, doh]
item ( ) of [  \/]Grabs the item in the box.
length of [  \/] How many items that list contains.
[  \/] contains [  ] If a list contains that. If not, false, if yes, true.

Yay! You're finally done with learning blocks! Pop quiz!
Write your answers down on a separate sheet of paper.
[blocks]

     1. Which block is a value grabber?

A: <change x by( )>

B: <size>

C: <mouse down?>

     2. What is a value grabber?

A: Something that pulls a sprite to part of the background

B: Something that gets a sprite's value

C: Something that just grabs the sprite

     3. What is a block?

A: A piece of lego

B: A part of a script

C: A part of a sprite's image

     4. What is a variable?

A: A number

B: A representation of a number

C: A phrase representing a value

     5. Where is the scratch website?

A:_www.scratch.com

B:_www.scratch.edu

C:_scratch.mit.edu

     6. Where was it developed?

A: Harvard

B: Stanford

C: MIT

     7. What effects are there?(choose all that are there)

A: Spin

B: Whirl

C: Color

D: Pixelate

E: Blur

F: Darkness

G: Brightness

H: Ghost

I: Transparency

J: Mosaic

K: Fisheye

     8. Which block is a "hat" block?

A: <when green flag clicked>

B: <forever>
   <end>

C: <{ n }>

     9. What does a sprite's x and y values mean?

A: <go to x    )y  

B: The sprite's position on the screen

C: The mouse's position on the screen

     10. What block reports "true" or "false"?

A: <mouse down?>

B: <timer>

C: <move(  )steps>
[/blocks]

Great! Now, here are the answers:

1:B
2:B
3:B
4:C
5:C
6:C
7:B,C,D,G,H,J,K
8:A
9:B
10: A

Now, the scoring:
For number 7, each right letter picked is 1/7 of the whole answer. Each wrong letter is -1/7. 7/7 is 1.

8/10-9/10: Good Job! Keep On!
3/10-7/10: Reread the parts that got you confused, then keep on!
0/10-2/10: Reread all, jumble up your mind, and do the quiz again!(no cheating!)





Al rightey, you've done the quiz, so now you're going on to the next chapter!

Chapter 4: Working with Scratch

Even though you technically finished "blocks", we're still working with them. Let's talk about the kinds of blocks:
[blocks]

<move(  )steps> command blocks

<size> reporter blocks

<mouse down?> boolean blocks

<when green flag clicked> hat blocks

<forever> loop blocks
<end>

[/blocks]

Command blocks give out commands, reporter blocks report a value, boolean blocks report either "True" or "False", hat blocks start a script, and loop blocks loop.

Now, let's talk about how you really work with blocks.
[blocks]
When you drag blocks around,  a white line appears.

<move(  )steps>
--------------------------------------------------------
                    <play sound[ ]>

This line indicates that the blocks can snap together.

<move(  )steps>
<play sound[ ]>

You can also drag blocks in between.

<play sound[ ]>
--------------------------------------------------------<pen up>
<move(  )steps>

They'll snap, too.

<play sound[ ]>
<pen up>
<move(  )steps>

If you drag a loop block over some blocks:

                    <repeat( )>
                    <end>
--------------------------------------------------------
<set pen color to( )>
<reset timer>

<repeat( )>
<end>
<set pen color to( )>
<reset timer>

It'll snap normally.
However if you drag right next to the blocks:

<set pen color to( )>                    <repeat( )>
<reset timer>

                                                 <end>

The blocks under will snap inside.

<repeat( )>
<set pen color to( )>
<reset timer>
<end>
[/blocks]

So you see, it isn't that hard. You can just drag blocks from the block pallete into the field, and start working. If you right click you can clean it up or add a comment, which you can attach to a block.

Chapter 5: Start into the Scratch World

Chapter 6: The New User's Handbook- By Joeyman
The New User's Handbook
By Joeyman

Making Friends:
To get more noticed on Scratch, having friends is a great way to get started! Friends can comment your projects, share their thoughts, and even spread the word about your projects! Comment some projects, (don't spam) talk to people, meet another user! If you find someone you would like to add to your friends list, here's how to do it:

   1.) Go to that user's home page. This is the page that contains all of their projects, friends, galleries, and favorite projects. To go there, simply click on the user's username.
   2.) Go over to where their location, username, and icon are. Under them, you will see a button saying "Add to my friends list" click it. The user will be notified shortly after.

Making friends is a great way to get started if you are working towards being a great Scratcher, but now let's talk about making great projects!


Making Projects and Putting Them Online:
Once you make your project, if you want to share it online, go to the top of the screen and click, "Share" Pick a title, type in a description, and even put in some tags if you want! When the upload is complete, come to the Scratch website to see your project on the website! Other users can comment and tag your project, or hit the love-it button if they really like it. If you are new to Scratch, than the first thing that you should know is that your projects don't have to be really advanced and cool right away! I started off small, and took my time... now, I make great projects, have many friends, and help Scratchers everywhere! Take your time, one step at a time... once you start making great projects, then you can get a little more technical. Now, if you ever get confused with sprites or scripts, just ask a question in the forums, or download someone else's project to examine their script. Next, I will tell you about galleries.


Galleries
What exactly are galleries? Well, in real life, a gallery is a special collection of art, trophies, medals, pictures, or anything that seems important. In Scratch, it works like that too! A gallery is a collection of projects made by you or other users. If you go to the "Galleries" part of the site, you will see some of the galleries that other users have made. Making one is easy! You click "Create a new gallery" and enter a title, description, and even some tags if you want to. You can make a private gallery, where only you can add, you can make it public, where everyone can add, or you can make it so only your friends can add. You can even make it so only some of your friends can add, like if you wanted it to be a gallery for you and one or more friends. Once it's up,  you can change the icon, you can change who can add projects, rename the gallery, or even delete it if you don't like it! Okay, let's talk about using the forums, shall we?


Using the Forums:
The Scratch Forums is a place to advertise your projects and galleries, ask questions, or discuss important topics! Make sure you post in the right forum, for example, the "Show And Tell" forum is where you talk about your projects, galleries, and other stuff! The "All About Scratch" forum is where you could ask questions about sprites and scripts. The "Suggestions" forum is for (you guessed it) suggestions! The forums aren't a chat room, so don't spam or get too off-topic! Maybe you want to use special text like bold or colored text?
Follow this link to learn how to make cool text in the forums

What NOT to so on Scratch:
Here is a list of things you do NOT want to do on Scratch. I don't care if you like to break rules, and neither to administrators, moderators, or even other members.

What not to do:
- Spam the forums or comments.
- Nag people to view your projects or galleries.
- Be mean to other members.
- Bother other members based on their gender, age, race, or religion.
- Make projects to say bad things about somebody.
- Say lies about other people.
- Bump a topic a million times.
- Make fun of other members for not being good Scratchers.
- Use inappropriate or vulgar language.
- Brag about how cool or popular you are on Scratch.
- Post inappropriate projects.

What you SHOULD do:
- Respect all members, no matter what!
- Post good topics, not stupid ones.
- Post projects in the proper gallery.
- Post topics in the proper forums.
- Respect moderators and administrators.
- Make appropriate projects.
- Use good language.
- Always speak the truth.
- Help one another.
- Be nice to other members.
- Never nag people to look at your projects.

Consequences: (From least to greatest)
Ignored Account: Somebody automatically ignores you account due to certain reasons.
Deleted Comment - Your comment gets removed.
Closed Forum Post - Nobody can reply to your post.
Deleted Forum Post - Your post gets removed.
Blocked Project - The contents of your project will NOT be shown.
Removed Project - Your project gets removed.
Gallery Decrease - Certain projects from your gallery are removed.
Removed Gallery - Your gallery gets removed.
Suspended Account - A temporary suspension of your account where you can't log in.
Banned Account - A permanent ban from your account. You can never use it again.
IP Ban - You are blocked from the website from your computer and nearby computers.

Remember, you MUST follow the rules of this website. A moderator or Administrator will not hesitate to take action against your forum posts, projects, or account in general. "It isn't in the rules" or "I saw someone else do it" is NOT an excuse. Don't make a fuss about one of the above things happening to you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAQ:

Q: How do I rename my project or gallery?
A: When you click on the title of your project, a text box will appear. You can then edit the name of your project or gallery.

Q: Where can I get some good sprites and sounds for my projects?
A: Scratchresources has many sprites that you can download for free, and Scratch comes with dozens of sprites and sounds you can use in your projects!

Q: How can I change my icon?
A: Go to your home page, go to the left of your icon, and click "change picture". From there, you can browse your computer for a small image. Your picture must be a valid image format. (PNG, JPEG, GIF, etc,.)

Q: How do projects get featured and what's so special about them?
A: Featured projects are picked by the Scratch Team if it is something new to Scratch, educational to others, or just plain awesome! It doesn't matter how advanced or simple it is!

Q: How can I achieve a featured project?
A: If you want a featured project, it needs to be appropriate, it must have a point, it can't be spam, and it cannot bash (or put down) other Scratch members.!

Below is some advice from other users. If you have any advice you want to share with others, you can submit it here!

mletreat wrote:

(The Forum) The forums are a great place for seeking and receiving feedback.  This feedback can be a critical element in your learning process and will provide opportunities for you to consider new approaches to your project design, inspiration for future projects, and alternative ways to approach creating projects. Through this feedback, you will grow and learn, which will help you make better projects in the future. 

Paddle2See wrote:

(Spamming and Over-Advertising) You can Lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

SmartIrishKid wrote:

(Passwords) When you change your password, do not make it too long; ALWAYS make it something you can easily remember.  It is also a good idea to write it down if you forget things easily.

ashbyr1 wrote:

(Tutorial) I've created a video tutorial for absolute beginners. You can find it at http://rickashby.com/moodle/course/view.php?id=3 Click on "Getting Started." Please tell me what you think and feel free to ask any questions. I'll be adding new tutorials frequently.

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Now remember, it's nice to get noticed, but don't over-do it! Don't demand popularity or force people to view your projects! I took my time and didn't nag, and I am a great Scratch member now! I really hope this guide helped you, and I look forward to seeing all of your great projects in the near future! Have fun, be nice, and Scratch on!
*****************************************************************************************************************************
Thank you Joeyman!

Chapter 7: Guide to the Forums- By 06dknibbs
By 09dknibbs
So you're new to the forums? Here's a few things that I hope will help 

The catergories

You will notice that the front page is divided into different sections, I will explain each of these and what there used for.

Announcements

Only the Scratch Team itself can make new topics here, but as the name suggests, they make announcement's such as the next Scratch's release, new ideas for the site etc:

You can reply to these topics though, as the Scratch Team are usually looking for opinions.

New Scratch Members

Pretty self explanotory, if you are new to Scratch, feel free to say hi to all the freindly members. A lot of us will help you get used to Scratch and help you start your Scratching 

Show and tell

Have anew project? Want everyone to know about your work? Post it here, but remember:

This is only for announcing things on Scratch! Sometimes the occasional new website or other something pops up here, the moderator's will soon move these to the corect place.

If you have something else to announce, feel free to try the Inspiration & more.

FAQ

Once again, you can't create your own thread here.

If a question is asked repeatedly, it will most likely be added here. If you want to know something, try looking here before creating your own thread    The asnwer may already be here.

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All About Scratch: Want to know something about Scratch? Stuck on a project? Try asking here.

Troubleshooting: Have a problem with Scratch? Did your computer explode when you clicked the green flag? Report it here 

Now, these two are slightly different. There is sometimes confusion over where something fall under.

It's simple. Is it a bug, error, mistake that definetly shouldn't happen. Then use the Troubleshooting topic.

Stuck on a project? you don't know something? All About Scratch is your answer.

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Advanced Topics

Want to know some very advanced coding? Interested in knowing something very hard/advanced?

Post here. This topic is usually filled with pretty complicated things though, if your new to Scratch, some thing may be difficult to understand.

But there are many discussuions here, feel free to join in 

Sensor Boards

The sensor boards are related to the sensor's in Scratch. Such as the microphone functions, light detecting and more.

Scratch is only compatible with these devices, it cannot provide you with the functions unless you get these for your computer.

Educators

This was used for discussing the teaching aspects of Scratch, but it is moving to scratched.media.mit.edu

Inspiration and more

A lot of things go here, but they must be inspirational and lead to a point.

Please avoid spamming here/anywhere 

There we're a lot of Text-based games here, but they now belong here http://scratch.mit.edu/tbgforums

You may have noticed the language topics too.

Please post only in the language used there, but the threads are mainly all that was mentioned above, mixed into one.

Feel free to help the members of another language if you know how to speak that language.

There's also Translating Scratch, and Other languages.
Both are mainly for discussing/translating new languages for Scratch.

Archived Forums

These are past forums that are now locked, you are able to look back at the topics here, but you can't add anything new.

Any topics that are locked usually get moved here, but there's only 3 for now.

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Posts/threads

Posting is the term used for saying something. I have posted this, anything you type is called a post.

A thread is the term for a topic withing a topic. This is a thread, and so are all the topics on the forums.

If you are looking to create your own thread. Look to the top of a normal (not locked or Admin only) topic, and then click "Post new topic". You can then type your message into a large block and give it a name at the top. However, make sure your thread is in the correct place and actually has a point. A thread can be spam if it's something like "OMG! I LOVE COOKIES!" with the message inside being "Yes, I do."

To reply to a thread, simply scroll to the bottom and type your message there. If there is no box, the threaad is locked.

Locked?

Locked is the term for when a topic is closed.

A locked topic will be grey and can only be viewed. You cannot post in a locked topic.

Topics are locked if:
A) The person who created the thread asks for it to be locked by saying something like. "Can a moderator lock this?"
B) It has gone completely of topic, full of flaming and no longer contribute's to the Scratch Forums.
C) Necroposted. Hardly ever happens, but if a very old and uneeded thread is Necroposted, it is generally locked to prevent other users bumping it up.

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Forum tricks

You may have noticed things like smilies    and the colour blue.

There's more, to find out how to make them, you can click here

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Signatures

Notice I have a banner at the bottom of my posts? That is a signature, it can be text or an image as long as it is appropriate (Isn't swearing, insulting etc: )

However, currently you can only have a signature after you have been on Scratch for 15 days, this is to help cut down on things such commercial advertising.

To make a signature, click on the button that says PROFILE near the top (next to Search + Forums Home). You will be taken to a menu, click on personality ad you will see a box.

Type your signature in there, but you are limited to a certain size and letters you can type. You can use the BBC codes on the page I linked in Forum Tricks when making a signature.

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Some things to avoid on the forums

Spam: Silly Pointless Annoying Messages.

If it is completely off topic and not related, (something like blah blah blah blah). Don't post it     This also includes pointless threads.

Even if the post is on topic, if it has many repeated words or a very large gap, it can get annoying at times and isn't really neccesary.

Don't give the spammer what they want  What does this mean? Well, most spammers will revive a dead thread or make an irrelevant post to completely knock a thread off topic. It is usually ok to tell them they are off topic, but when 50 different people start arguing that a spammer has spammed...

If you believe this person did not know they did something wrong, it is ok to tell them if no one else has yet, but if they already know and have spammed numerous times, it will soon be dealt with 

If it is completely off topic and not related, (something like blah blah blah blah). Don't post it     This also includes pointless threads.

Rudeness: Please don't be rude to other members. if you dislike someone for whatever reason, keep it to yourself. You wouldn't like it if someone repeatedly insulted you.

So in the words of Paddle2see: treat other's as you would like to be treated 

Necroposting

Reviving a dead, unneeded thread can be very annoying. However, if you have something to add to the thread that IS relevant, It's usually ok 

Flaming

Flaming isn't very nice and can lead to a topic being locked if things go out of control.

Flaming is when a user shouts and argues with over nothing. An example.

User 1: Do you think I should try making this?
User 2: NO! That's stupid and already been done! etc:

Basically, if your shouting and arguing over nothing, it's a flame. It doesn't have to be an idea, maybe a thread/someone has spammed. If you must object to something, try constructive critiscm instead or speak nicely. Eg:

User 1: Do you think I should try making this?
User 2: Hmm, It's a nice idea, but It has been done before. Perhaps you could try adding this...

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For more on what Isn't allowed, Click here.

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The Mods 

So how do the forums keep in order? The moderator's help keep things under control. without them, these forums would probably be an endless void of spam and chaos. They have the ability to move, rename, sticky, delete and lock threads, edit and delete your posts. They pretty much control the forums

The current moderators are:

MyRedNeptune, Cheddargirl, Lanie and JSO

Paddle2see and Jens are members of the Scratch Team, but they do work around the forums at times and often look into any problems such a Glitches and Bugs, before reporting them if needed.

The rest of The Scratch Team also sorts things sometimes, but I don't know them all 

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Finnaly, I hope this helps you on the forums 
It doesn't list everything (yet), but It's a start.

If something is wrong/missing. Please let me know so I can change it 
I'm still editing this. If you have any suggestions, I'll add them.

Also, if there is something you still don't understand about the forums, feel free to ask here and I or somebody else will try and help you 

Thank you 09dknibbs!

Chapter 6: Attack of the Scratch Hacker, and what to do to BE SAFE!- By Terminator68
By Terminator68

Apparently, there has been a lot of commotion of Scratch Accounts being hacked. Well, we don't know for sure who is hacking, but listen up to ensure more password encryption.

Method 1:
Step 1)Open Microsoft One Note
Step 2)Type random keys
Step 3)Save, then every time you log in to scratch, open one note and copy and paste the long "random key" password!

Method 2:
Step 1)Keep your normal password
Step 2)Get another password you use, and combine it
Step 3)Then, keep combining alternate passwords until you feel the password is strong
Step 4)*OPTIONAL* Add EXTRA punctuation and numbers

Method 3:
Step 1)Go HERE
Step 2)Copy some of the Greek Letters
Step 3)Open Microsoft One Note
Step 4)Make new password, then paste in the Greek letters. THEN SAVE.
Step 5)Whenever you log in to scratch, open One Note, copy the password, then paste onto the scratch password screen.

Method 4:
Step 1) Go HERE

So you could try some of these methods, and if you make a new method, please post! Thanks, and have fun Scratching Safely!

Thank you Terminator68!


Further Reading
Written by Cheddargirl
A collection of helpful threads about programming in Scratch, by Scratchers, for Scratchers. 

- Scratch Tutorials
- Useful Demos of Scratch Features and Functions
- Learn Scratch

Learn the General Basics of Scratch:
- Everything About Scratch (general overview of Scratch Blocks).
- Scratch Wiki - About Scratch

Individual Tutorials:
Movement
    - Velocity
Using Pen Blocks
    - In Scratch, what is "pen" and what do you use it for?
Using Variables
    - How can I learn about variables?
Scrolling
    - Scrolling Background Help
    - Advice from the Archmage- Scrolling Platform Demo
1-player games
    - Fighting Game AI Tutorial

Other Helpful Programming Tips
    - Tips to saving time when scripting in massive lag/scripts

What else can I do with Scratch Programming?
Turning Scratch into an .EXE application
    - Made a program-like project? Tutorial

New to the Scratch forums and don't know your way around? Ever wanted to know how to make an awesome forum post? Here's a list of threads that can help you out. 

- What is forums?
- BBCode help:
     - Forum Code / BBCode!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the tips and tricks!!!!!!!
     - All you need to know about BBCode
     - Official BBCode Guide
- Tips to making a good and informative forum post

Looking for images? Having trouble finding a sound? Looking for some useful software to make your sprites or sounds really cool? You've come to the right place. 

- Sprite Sheet Websites
- Sound, music and image-processing freeware and shareware.
- Free Music, Anyone?
- MahoAshley's Useful Links
Thank you Cheddargirl!

My recommendations:
History of Scratch

'An Un-Brief History of Scratch' By Chrisb A great history if you are interested. Always changes. You can even rely on it as a source of news.

General Help

Ask in the 'All About Scratch' section, or look in the 'FAQ' section. If you see your question there, click it, and see the answer. If not, make your own post.
'New User FAQ' By Coolperson Should answer many of your questions about Scratch.
' THE ALMIGHTY SCRATIONARY!!! (Intended for Scratch Illtererate Users)' By Turtlewarrior Really cool, with definitions of blocks and Scratch, but may not be very reliable.
Everything About Scratch Very reliable, written by one of the best users.

Projects
'How to Make a Better Project.' By Bobby500 Great for making a better project.

All about the Forums

'Signatures' By Coka All about signatures and how to get them.

Extra Tips

'Scratch Secrets' By Natalie Posted by a scratch administrator, this helps with a few tips.

My Help

To newbies, I always say this:

Well, Hi there! 

Check out:

How to use Scratch
The Scratchionary
All about Scratch
A history of Scratch

Stickies(Things at the top which say Sticky: topic)

If you have any suggestions, post them in 'Suggestions'.
If you have any questions about Scratch, ask in 'All About Scratch'.
If you have and ADVANCED questions about Scratch, ask in 'Advanced Topics'.
If you have any problems with Scratch, ask in 'Troubleshooting'.
If anything or any user or post etc is bad, use the 'Contact Us' link in the bottom.

A sig(the line under with pictures and stuff) is enabled after 15 days of using the Forums. Once 15 days are over, just click 'Profile' and 'personality' and you can look at what you can do.

BBCode is enabled in both signatures and posts

Scratch On!    (I do this to every newbie. Hope you enjoy it!)

Bibliography

My Mind 
Further Reading
Also Further Reading
More Further Reading
The New User's Handbook
The attack of the Scratch Hacker
Guide to the Forums

~Conclusion~

Doesn't it feel overwhelming? There is a lot to learn about Scratch, so learn it. I hope you enjoy my help topic, and see you, in the future, a brighter, smarter, scratcher.

Last edited by Greatdane (2009-11-22 14:41:27)