1) Limit cloud variables to a number input.
This would allow for multiplayer games and multi-user projects whilst completely restricting chat rooms without some sort of agreed number code, at which point it becomes a moot point trying to moderate it manually as the message is unknown to anyone who knows the code. As well as that, I don't think that a text input would be as useful anyway, unless it's for usernames, which are pointless as chat would be fairly hard.

2) Move responsibility onto the owner of the project.
If the ‘cloud list’ is seen by a member of the scratch community to be used for chatrooms, it would be recorded, and if 10 different users (non guests) report the project it is sent to be seen by moderators. The greatest power Scratch has is it's rule abiding community, who I am sure would be happy to perform this task if they come across a chatroom. However, one major issue I see with this is a project that doesn't get much attention and is used as a private chatroom. If the moderators then believe it to be a chatroom, the owner is notified and the project unshared. If this happens twice with the same project, the owner is disciplined in some way.

3) Add better string manipulation eg ‘world contains X’ to allow for easier filtering and just general string use.

1) Text could be coded into number form, then decoded on the other end back to the letters. This only makes chat projects harder to write, not impossible. As soon as one person makes a chat room using this encode/decode technique… everyone will remix the project. You've stopped nothing.

2) If a user types a bad word into a leaderboard on my project, am I responsible? Or, the person who wrote the bad word? If it's me, I just won't have leaderboards.

3) I support. I want better string manipulation blocks.

1. No. If I have a leaderboard with peoples' names, then that idea would make that just about impossible. It's also quite easy to get around (like BoltBait said) by encoding letters into numbers.
2. The owner should only be responsible for the content they put in. It's not fair for me to get in trouble if someone types a bad word into the leaderboard of my project. I had nothing to do with it, but I'm getting in trouble anyway. That's not fair.
I only think the owner should be responsible if they are the ones who made it a chatroom (and nothing else)
3. I agree with that. There are a bunch we could use.

BoltBait
1) Text could be coded into number form, then decoded on the other end back to the letters. This only makes chat projects harder to write, not impossible. As soon as one person makes a chat room using this encode/decode technique… everyone will remix the project. You've stopped nothing.

2) If a user types a bad word into a leaderboard on my project, am I responsible? Or, the person who wrote the bad word? If it's me, I just won't have leaderboards.

3) I support. I want better string manipulation blocks.

BoltBait -
1) True, this idea is mainly just to make it harder.
2) The idea is, you're supposed to filter it out. That's why I suggested 3. If you don't have a filter in place, that's your fault, as well as theirs.

Jvvg -
1) True, I suppose
2) My point is, you are responsible if there's no filter etc. There's no disciplinary action unless you let them continue and don't stop them.

Jimbobblue

BoltBait
1) Text could be coded into number form, then decoded on the other end back to the letters. This only makes chat projects harder to write, not impossible. As soon as one person makes a chat room using this encode/decode technique… everyone will remix the project. You've stopped nothing.

BoltBait -
1) True, this idea is mainly just to make it harder.

The idea of Scratch is not to make things harder but to make things easier. The thing is… once someone figures it out everyone will simply remix their project and the explosion of chat projects continues. So, this really isn't a solution.

You can read my ideas on how to fix cloud variables here: http://mv.ezproxy.com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/forums/topic/882/