On May 7, 2022, the bad news finally broke out on TurboWarp: it appears that the Scratch Team is going to remove the ability to view unshared projects using things like TurboWarp, Forkphorus, and even Scratch 3.0's development build (referred to here as scratch-gui). Here's the most recent version of the statement, which was published on May 29:

Updated May 29, 2022 - Loading unshared projects in TurboWarp, forkphorus, the packager, and other third-party sites will PROBABLY no longer be possible at some point in the future due to upcoming changes to the Scratch API that we do not have control over.

For more information, visit: https://docs.turbowarp.org/unshared-projects

Now, I understand that this is kind of a privacy issue, but the purpose of this suggestion is for the Scratch Team to Consider Collabs. Specifically, viewing unshared projects was very helpful for collaborations, as people could provide a link to turbowarp and people could download the project, then add it into the Collab. Or just give people a taster of what's to come! By removing this ability, this is going to be much, much harder. Just think: people sending links to sketchy filesharing sites, people sending other people files designed as .sb3 files when they're actually viruses… Okay, maybe that last one's a little farfetched, but still.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: Can't they just share the project? Sure, they could, but it could be leaked. By removing this, you're forcing people to share stuff they don't actually want to share or that they only want to share with one or two people!

Anyway, here's all the workarounds we've come up with so far (thanks, musicROCKS013!):

Remixing: Remix a project over and over adding slight updates each time.

Pros:
Safe for both creators
ST approved

Cons:
Could provide leaks to the content of the project
Inefficient and slow

Using turbowarp: Using turbowarp to edit a project

Pros:
Easy
Efficient
Prevents leaks to the gameplay
Cons:
Easy to share private info or inappropriate content
The ST can’t moderate it

File sharing: Sharing files with each other to edit the project

Pros:
An alternative to turbowarp
Cons:
A ban-able offense
Impossible to do on scratch; must be done on outside platforms, requiring in sharing private info

Remixing and using secret alternate accounts: Title

Pros:
Can help keep the project hidden from the major part of the community and prevent leaks
ST approved
Cons:
Constantly worried that someone will find it and leak the project
Hard to keep a secret account secret

Just do the work yourself: Don’t collab

Pros:
You can’t unintentionally access private info of other scratchers or inappropriate content
No leaks. You also don’t have to worry that the other collaborator will leak the project
You don’t get carried
Cons:
It might take longer to do or take more effort

I'll close off with this: I understand what you're doing is right for security reasons. However, for people in collaborations, this isn't very convenient. The best way to handle this option is the setting to allow external software viewing while unshared like I mentioned above. If nothing is done, I fear this'll be as controversial as That One Day When The Scratch Team Decided To Remove The Discuss Button™, or That Other Day When The Scratch Team Decided To Overhaul Studios And Everyone Revolted™. Before you remove it, please stop for a moment and remember to Consider Collabs! Also, please:
1. be respectful
2. support this
3. read the studio description

The Signature
———-
If you want to support this campaign, feel free to put this in your signature:

I want the Scratch Team to #ConsiderCollabsRehydrated! Help save Scratch's unshared projects feature before it's too late!

You should respect the Scratch Team's decision and not repost a suggestion on which the original topic was closed. If not closed, this suggestion will go through the same circumstances that led to the original topic's closure.

Prime689 wrote:

Why are you continuing a suggestion which was closed by a Scratch Team member? Shouldn't you respect their decision?

but we GOTTA save unshared projects!

gamesprimescratch wrote:

Prime689 wrote:

Why are you continuing a suggestion which was closed by a Scratch Team member? Shouldn't you respect their decision?

but we GOTTA save unshared projects!

that doesn't mean its ok to continue something that was shut down, its very unlikely the ST will listen to this since they already closed this idea down

8bitrkt wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

Prime689 wrote:

Why are you continuing a suggestion which was closed by a Scratch Team member? Shouldn't you respect their decision?

but we GOTTA save unshared projects!

that doesn't mean its ok to continue something that was shut down, its very unlikely the ST will listen to this since they already closed this idea down

wait! i have a solution!

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

Huh?

k0d3rrr wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

Huh?

*Huh?

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

Huh?

*Huh?

ok, at this point. this topic is off-topic, irrelevant, and already (kind of) rejected, can we close this topic now?

8bitrkt wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

Huh?

*Huh?

ok, at this point. this topic is off-topic, irrelevant, and already (kind of) rejected, can we close this topic now?

no

gamesprimescratch wrote:

-The Official Forum Scissors have snipped this post-

What's this about adding team to the post? It already says “Scratch Team”.
If you're talking about the asterisk, that's because normally when a Scratch Team member replies to a comment, an asterisk appears next to their username to show they're a Scratch Team member.

Moving on…

gamesprimescratch wrote:

8bitrkt wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

gamesprimescratch wrote:

k0d3rrr wrote:

The Scratch Team aren't going to implement the ability to view unshared projects because they want to keep peoples' unshared projects secret.

Here's a quote from @cheddargirl on the original topic:

cheddargirl* wrote:

[…]

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

*Team

Huh?

*Huh?

ok, at this point. this topic is off-topic, irrelevant, and already (kind of) rejected, can we close this topic now?

no

we must save the collabs
gamesprime commits Sorry, you have to wait 60 seconds between posts.

The OG topic wasn’t closed because it was rejected. It was closed because some people were saying mean things.

To the OP: You should add a notice telling people to be respectful, so this doesn’t happen again.

musicROCKS013 wrote:

The OG topic wasn’t closed because it was rejected. It was closed because some people were saying mean things.

To the OP: You should add a notice telling people to be respectful, so this doesn’t happen again.

done

Please note that the previous suggestion topic was closed by a Scratch Team member.

cheddargirl wrote:

Got multiple reports about some comments in here being rather mean-spirited, and it would be too difficult to to clean them out, so unfortunately I'm just gonna have to close this thread.

Improving collabs is something we're open to (as we have multiple threads with multiple different suggestions on it!), but do keep in mind that there are a lot of strict rules and regulations we have to follow, and having unshared project not accessible is one of them (and one we cannot budge on - making unshared projects unviewable even via TurboWarp and other means was long overdue and something the ST got in trouble for a lot; we only recently got the support to put the security measure in place). Continued collab suggestions should keep this in mind and proceed accordingly.

Any further suggestions about collaboration should take it as a given that unshared projects will no longer be viewable by others. Bear in mind that collaboration existed prior to third-party viewers and it can certainly continue after they are blocked from viewing unshared projects.