The suggestion

I spend a lot of time in the New Scratchers forum, where I am meant to be welcoming New Scratchers to the community. However, I spend most of my time closing or moving random threads from Scratchers. Many of them are just something like this:

Hey new scratchers if u need help ask me and ill help

And get closed down straight away.
So I thought, “Why don't we have a system that prevents Scratchers from posting a new topic here?” And so, I came up with this.

Pros

• It will save Scratchers like me, and the ST's time as they don't have to spend time closing down threads.
  
• It will tidy up the New Scratchers forum, which currently half-filled with closed topics.
  

Cons

• Users that have been on Scratch long enough to earn the “Scratcher” status, but have only just discovered the forums will be unable to say hello.
  

Scratcher's input and suggestions

Forum_Helper1 wrote:

I'll support if something can be done about the con. Maybe it also depends on how many posts in the forums you have? You can post if you are a scratcher only if you have fewer than 10 posts? Idk, any other ideas?

Sigton wrote:

So instead of the ST's time being spent closing posts, (which would take seconds; you can immediately tell when a post is due for closure), it would be used evaluating a users application to make a post. In that time all of the irrelevant posts could've been closed, plus more. So having saving peoples time as a pro isn't exactly true.

This isn't really saving the ST any time. As for saving Scratcher's time, you don't have to take it upon yourself to be a mini mod and go close every thread. Honestly I doubt it would do any harm being left open, and even if you do want it closed you don't have to post on it, just report it.

And there we go, nobodies time wasted!

scratchisthebest wrote:

Still don't really see the point. If a topic by a big grown up Scratcher is actually helpful, it will get replies. If not, it will sink to the bottom naturally. Don't see the need for the Scratch Team to intervene here, it's not like having open forum threads with few/no replies is a bad thing.

Thank you for taking my suggestion into consideration.

Semi-Support. As good of an idea that is, say there is a Scratcher that left for a while and is coming back, wanting to re-introduce themselves and say that they are a Scratcher but that was long ago. I think that the “ask me if you need help” can be reported to close.

Total support! I was just about to suggest this.

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

So I thought, "Why don't we have a system that only lets New Scratchers saying hello post here?"

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

I never said that Scratchers can't post there. It's just that they can't start their own topic.

You might want to change this, but I support.

I agree with this. In the New Scratchers forum, lots of non-New Scratchers post things that don't belong. It's actually worse on the Scratcher side than New Scracther, so this would definitely clean up spam. I rarely see a reason for a Scratcher to make a topic there anyway.

And also, about;

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

Q. What about if the ST wants to post a new topic for a sticky?

It should always be open for them. You can trust them after all.

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

community moderators

They haven't existed in a long time

Sigton

duckboycool wrote:

And also, about;

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

Q. What about if the ST wants to post a new topic for a sticky?

It should always be open for them. You can trust them after all.

Adding on, if a Scratcher wanted to make a stickied topic, that would have to get permission from an ST member first.
Yes, yes, please have this, so I can post all I want in that forum!
The only problem with this is that if someone is on the website long enough that they become a Scratcher, but have not yet discovered the forums, they might not get a chance to say hi.

Forum_Helper1 wrote:

Adding on, if a Scratcher wanted to make a stickied topic, that would have to get permission from an ST member first.
Yes, yes, please have this, so I can post all I want in that forum!
The only problem with this is that if someone is on the website long enough that they become a Scratcher, but have not yet discovered the forums, they might not get a chance to say hi.

That happened to me. I didn't use the forums until 8 months after I joined Scratch.

Sigton

Sigton wrote:

Forum_Helper1 wrote:

Adding on, if a Scratcher wanted to make a stickied topic, that would have to get permission from an ST member first.
Yes, yes, please have this, so I can post all I want in that forum!
The only problem with this is that if someone is on the website long enough that they become a Scratcher, but have not yet discovered the forums, they might not get a chance to say hi.

That happened to me. I didn't use the forums until 8 months after I joined Scratch.

Sigton

Ok. That can be a con.

Forum_Helper1 wrote:

duckboycool wrote:

And also, about;

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

Q. What about if the ST wants to post a new topic for a sticky?

It should always be open for them. You can trust them after all.

Adding on, if a Scratcher wanted to make a stickied topic, that would have to get permission from an ST member first.
Yes, yes, please have this, so I can post all I want in that forum!
The only problem with this is that if someone is on the website long enough that they become a Scratcher, but have not yet discovered the forums, they might not get a chance to say hi.

Yes. I'll add that.

Probably won't support because when a New Scratcher posts then full Scratchers might want to reply and help them/tell them about Scratch but will be unable to do so if this is added.

I support making it clearer what the purpose of the forum is though.

Cub56 wrote:

Probably won't support because when a New Scratcher posts then full Scratchers might want to reply and help them/tell them about Scratch but will be unable to do so if this is added.

I support making it clearer what the purpose of the forum is though.

No, I am just saying that only New Scratchers can start a new topic. Scratchers are allowed to reply to one.

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

Cub56 wrote:

Probably won't support because when a New Scratcher posts then full Scratchers might want to reply and help them/tell them about Scratch but will be unable to do so if this is added.

I support making it clearer what the purpose of the forum is though.

No, I am just saying that only New Scratchers can start a new topic. Scratchers are allowed to reply to one.

Sorry, support then.

Cub56 wrote:

Drunken_Sailor wrote:

Cub56 wrote:

Probably won't support because when a New Scratcher posts then full Scratchers might want to reply and help them/tell them about Scratch but will be unable to do so if this is added.

I support making it clearer what the purpose of the forum is though.

No, I am just saying that only New Scratchers can start a new topic. Scratchers are allowed to reply to one.

Sorry, support then.

Great!

[offtopic]BTW you forgot to add me to support list.[/offtopic]

duckboycool wrote:

[offtopic]BTW you forgot to add me to support list.[/offtopic]

Sorry, I'm doing it now.

I'll support if something can be done about the con. Maybe it also depends on how many posts in the forums you have? You can post if you are a scratcher only if you have fewer than 10 posts? Idk, any other ideas?

Forum_Helper1 wrote:

I'll support if something can be done about the con. Maybe it also depends on how many posts in the forums you have? You can post if you are a scratcher only if you have fewer than 10 posts? Idk, any other ideas?

Hmm. That sounds good, but how about >25 posts?

No support ( my opinion )

PintOfMilk wrote:

No support ( my opinion )

Please give a reason, thanks.

I support. I've had to request some of those topics for closure, too. I also agree with the idea that it should be <25 posts AND a New Scratcher to post there, unless otherwise given permission.