Scratch

The point of Scratch is to have a simple language that's easy to learn and has a good learning environment. It can also be used for some fairly advanced projects, but the ultimate goal is not a powerful programming language. The problem with this is that it will fragment the community, and likely drive the best Scratchers to that site, leaving the beginners high and dry with no help. I'd also like to point out that age is not a good determiner of programming ability. If you really want an advanced language, why not check out something more powerful like Flash, C++ or Java?

You people are completely missing the point. The majority of people who meet the age limit would be mature enough not to be discouraged by a 'dislike'.  Yes, most advanced Scratchers would move to this site, but the most of people get better at Scratch with no help. For example, me. I used to be, in my opinion, terrible at Scratch. I stopped using it, waited a couple years, and now I'm fairly good at it. No help at all.

Last edited by TechScratcher (2010-12-15 07:27:13)

If you are using Scratch then odds are you are not advanced with code at all. Scratch has poor support for pretty much anything other than simple programs.

The main purpose of Scratch is pretty much solely for education so making another site where people post good projects but can't learn anything more with Scratch kind of goes against what the site is about.

Stencyl seems like it would fill your desire for an "advanced" scratch site. The Stencyl tool (in beta currently) is basically an advanced version of scratch with real potential. If you can't get into Stencyl then do Flixel or greenfoot or something. Those are much harder than Scratch but should be doable for "advanced" Scratch users.

Even though i'm relatively new i'd probably fall into the "advanced" section that you are wanting to create due to move from proper coding  to a summer job involving scratch, just so you know a little about my background.

I don't like the idea of a dislike button. For someone like me i'd not like the idea of a dislike because I feel people would simply click dislike without leaving helpful comments.
I feel that scratch is based upon helping other people learn by viewing their projects and commenting on them saying that a particular point of the program could be improved by doing such and such. Its the comments that offer advice that are far more powerful than a simple dislike as they help the person improve.

juststickman wrote:

TechScratcher wrote:

It should have an age limit because, not to stereotype, but people are always better at something when they're older.  This site would not only have a 'like-it' button but a 'dislike it' button. Because of the age limit, there wouldn't be any little kids who would quit because they get one 'dislike it'.

People are always better at something when they're older

Sports?

That's just ruining the entire thing. A pathetic excuse to exclude people on a stupid generalization.

NO SUPPORT.

Lol bro you still mad about the moderator thing and now your biased against everything age required?

TechScratcher wrote:

Again, most of you are missing the point. Scratch is supposed to be a learning environment. This site would be for people who no longer need to learn, but only want to show people.

Then post your projects here, where others can learn from them. If you ask me, you can never know so much that you don't need to know any more.

The entire point of scratch is that it is easy for all ages.
If people start at something earlier in their lives, they get to be better.

A dislike button really has no point. If they don't like the project, they should discontinue their viewing of it.

Any Scratcher should be free to see any "Show off" projects, for it would aid them in their education of scratch.

NO SUPPORT.
This goes against the idea of Scratch. It's made to be easy for all ages.

complex wrote:

No support either. If you want something more advanced, search 'stencyl'. And the age thing does not work AT ALL. Not only could it be blocking some advanced scratchers, you can lie about your age.

Yeah, but there are so many six year olds who try to play, they won't think enough to lie about their age. And, since you'd only get one chance to put in your age, they wouldn't be able to go on.

TechScratcher wrote:

It should have an age limit because, not to stereotype, people are always better at something when they're older.

You just did stereotype, and quite incorrectly. I have spent a few years on this site, have created a popular modification of Scratch, created a library of smalltalk code and help out every day in the advanced topic forum. I am, what you might call an advanced Scratcher. At 18 I am well aware that the vast majority of the Scratchers in advanced topics are around 13 years old and better than me in many areas. Age is not a generalisation that works.

TechScratcher wrote:

This site would not only have a 'like-it' button but a 'dislike it' button.

What's the point of a dislike it button? the likes are there to get a general gist of how much people like a project. What would you have? Top disliked? Negative critcism helps no one, regarless of age or maturity. Contructive criticism, on the other hand is very useful. "I don't like this aspect of your project because... you could try doing... to improve it" allows people to understand what they could do better. Existing commenting allows this, a dislike button would not.

TechScratcher wrote:

Because of the age limit, there wouldn't be any little kids who would quit because they get one 'dislike it'.

Again, age has nothing to do with maturity, or ability to take negative feedback. Personality and/or upbringing (depending on which psychological learning theory works for you) affect this greatly, and while real-world experience does affect personal reactions to environmental stimuli, there is no set age where SNAP you're suddenly impartial to negative criticism. Everyone is different, people who beleived everyone should be the same include Hitler and Al Qaeda. Look where that got them.

TechScratcher wrote:

I think this would be a better website, with more worthwhile projects than 'semi-spam' projects. 'Semi-spam' is project with few sprites or Scripts, really not worth looking at.

You're classifying the quality of a project by the amount of sprites and scripts it holds?! This is a new one to me. Some of the cleverest, most efficient projects are composed of very few sprites and scripts - cutting off the fat, as it were. An older, new scratcher new to programming would be likely to post simple projects to begin with - and having his/her projects scorned or removed due to their simplicity is hardly going to encourage him/her to flourish now, is it? Again, your age boundry fails to meet expectations.

TechScratcher wrote:

These are commonly made by new or young Scratchers, who think people really care about what their favorite hockey team or soup is 

Scratch is about diversity. About community, making people welcome. Who are we to decide what they wish to post? Who says no one cares? Who says they care whether people care? I don't see the sense in this.

TechScratcher wrote:

This site would be for people who no longer need to learn, but only want to show people.

I know you said no longer need to learn, but I think there's always room to learn. I have been scratching for two or three years now and learn something new every day! It's wonderful, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that your knowledge is expanding! Who wouldn't want to learn?

Having had my say on this, Please, do feel free to create your own version of the Scratch site - I don't mean this sarcastically. I will follow your progress with intrest 

Last edited by sparks (2010-12-24 17:12:33)