Scratch

Is it open source? You could edit the forum source code or add a mod...

andresmh wrote:

I think we could have sub-topics even with the current system. If you notice, currently, there are two top-level categories: "Scratch" and "Scratch in other languages". You could imagine converting the current sub-categories ("Show and Tell", "Announcements", etc) into top-level categories. Could you come up with a new structure for sub-topics?

Sure. I suggest having these subtopics for the main categories:

1. Announcements: (This doesn't need many sub-topics if it needs any at all because it is always being cleaned up and other users can't post in it. However, I added some  suggestions just in case.)
-Future versions of Scratch
-Surveys
-Other Updates
-Misc.

2. New Scratch Members: (This will need to be carefully thought out as it is for the people who are new to Scratch and its forums.)
-Tutorials: (If their can be sub-sub topics, that would be ideal for this. However, there could also be separate tutorial sub-categories. The other problem with this is that tutorials are spread out throughout the other topics like All About Scratch. Here are the different tutorial topics I think are needed anyway.)
     /Tutorial: Blocks
     /Tutorial: Website Navigation
     /Tutorial: Using Scratch
-Questions about Scratch's capabilities (It will need a better name.)
-Misc.

3. Show and Tell: (Because there are so many Show and Tell posts, my sub-topics may not work. I think that when posting in this forum, people should be asked for the type of program they consider theirs to be. It would be kind of like tags. Then it could be classified into the following groups.)
- Art Projects
- Animation Projects
- Test Projects
- Game Projects
- Simulation Projects
- Other

4. FAQ: (This does not need much work either since it is closely monitored. It may not need sub-topics at all.)
- Common Troubleshooting (This isn't like the main topic because it will not usually contain real bugs.)
- Using Scratch
- Using Scratch Online
- Other

5. All About Scratch: (This is one of the topics I'm most concerned about. Although some of these topics may look repetitive, the posts in All About Scratch usually differ then posts in other topics. I suggest we do it as follows.)
- Tutorials
     /Scrolling
     /"3-D"
     /Uses of Blocks
     /Other
- Problems / Errors
     /Troubleshooting
     /Program Trouble
- Upcoming Updates
- Other

6. Educators: (This doesn't need much work.)
- Scratch and Education learning ideas (Worksheets, project ideas, etc.
- Help with programs
- Education Uses Discussions
- Other

7. Advanced Topics: (I'm not very "advanced" as you might call it, so these sub-topics probably won't fit, but I thought I'd show them anyway.)
- Scratch "Helper" Programs (Programs that help with Scratch like DiscScratcher and Chirp.)
- Advanced Trouble Shooting (A play off troubleshooting, but for more complex posts.)
- The Source Code
- Advanced Projects
- Other

8. Suggestions:
- Future Blocks
- Future Scratch Capabilities (Suggestions for updates in Scratch, like Future Blocks, but this has other ideas.)
- Future Website
- Other

9. Troubleshooting:
- Sound
- Images
- Online Bugs
- Scratch Blocks
- PC / OS

10. Scratch @ MIT Conference 2008: (I do not think this needs ANY sub-topics because the conference is complete and there are only a handful of posts.)

11. Sensor Boards: (Little to no sub-topics needed.)
- Problems With Sensor Boards
- Questions about Buying / Capabilities of Sensor Boards
- Programs Using Sensor Boards
- Other

12. Inspiration and More: (I'm not sure if this will work because you get all sorts of things in this since it is like an "other" topic.)
- Forum Games
- Project Suggestions
- Upcoming Projects
- Other


Just so you know, I think the sticky topics should not be in a sub category since they are very relevant and are the first things that people want to see. Please post your opinion of these sub-topics and feel free to suggest any changes!

Last edited by shadow_7283 (2009-02-06 20:54:34)

You Could Have The Tutorials Connect To One Area Like 2 Links To One Area?

bosox397 wrote:

i do like the idea

thanks 

What does everyone think of that structure?

Any other comments?

What would happen to the current posts? Would someone volunteer to reorganize them or should we just start fresh and archive the pre-categorization posts? Seems like it would be a lot of work.

What would be the impact on the current Forum administration tools?  The Move feature in particular is heavily used.

andresmh wrote:

What would happen to the current posts? Would someone volunteer to reorganize them or should we just start fresh and archive the pre-categorization posts? Seems like it would be a lot of work.

I definitely agree. What with the Scratch team and forum moderators already up to their necks in work, it would be a hard task to accomplish. I might think of more solutions, but here is what I came up with.

1. I'm not sure how this could or would be done, but I think a certain amount of responsibility should be given to those who made a post. I think that they should be notified that the Scratch Forums are going to be updated and that they would need to edit their original post and choose a category to put it in. If it is possible, I think a option should be on a create post menu that lets the users choose which category they want their post to be in. Even so, there would probably be posts to move and sort, but I think this would minimize the amount the Scratch Team needs to deal with.

2. We could also start from scratch, except for the important posts, like Magnie said. This might create mayhem or it might not. On one hand, unless the posts are on the front page, most users cannot be bothered browsing through forum pages to look for an answer to their question. On the other hand, it would be a shame to have all of the good and informative posts lost that are not "stickys".

3. Another idea is to, again, inform Scratch users that the forums are going to be updated. Then, a post could be created that lets users suggest particularly helpful forum posts they think need to be kept. Still, the rest of the posts would be deleted, but it would help minimize the amount of lost information.

4. A volunteer team COULD be created, but again, even though Scratch is compromised of a lot of helpful users, the position still could be abused, or a mistake might be made. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think their is a forum position that entitles a user to move posts, while not having complete forum moderator privileges.  On the bright side, if a volunteer group could be assembled, the forums could be sorted a lot quicker, with out the deletion of helpful information.

Some of these suggestions put a lot of emphasis on moving and deleting, like Paddle2See said, and I'm not sure how easy that can be. Could a member of the Scratch Team explain this?   
Please put your opinion!

I Might Volunteer    (I'm On 12/6    (aka 12 hours and 6 days a week  ))

Any other comments?

JSO wrote:

I'm really behind the sub topics idea, but I'd like to asa little change.

I don't like the categories on the home page... If all those categories will be shown on the forums index, it'll be a mess. If all categories from the (well structured, thanks to put in so much work!) post above shadow_7283 wrote, We would have like 30 categories all in on one page - that certainly is distracting to beginners.

I'd like to see the front page with only the 12 main categories shadow suggested, and the sub categories only shown when you click on it.  Sort of like folders...

If it is to much PHP work , you can always put it into collapsible div's, it'd be easy to use and faster too 

What do you guys think?

I Thought That Was What We We're Doing.?