Scratcher

"User" redirects here. For a user on the Scratch Wiki, see Scratch Wiki:Users.

This article is about people who use Scratch. For the engine that the Scratch Website was built on, see ScratchR.

A Scratcher is the name given to anyone who uses Scratch and is a registered user on the Scratch Website. It can also refer specifically to a user on Scratch who has received the "Scratcher" status after being helpful and active, which allows that user extra capabilities, such as using cloud variables.

The part of a Scratcher's profile that shows their username, location, rank and how long they have been on Scratch.

Registering

Main article: Creating an Account

The default icon given to new Scratchers, created by Yickpoo.

To become a Scratcher, one must make an account. The following information must be entered:

1. Username (Between 3 and 20 characters)
2. Password (At least 6 characters; never share this!)
3. Confirm password
4. Country/Region
5. Birth month and year (Will never be shared with anybody, only used for the Scratch Statistics site. Also used to confirm if someone is the right person when deleting an account.)
6. Gender (female, male, non-binary, another gender, or prefer not to say)
7. E-mail address (Parent/guardian's e-mail if under 16; do not share this either; will be only used for confirming the address or resetting password)

Some of the information is used for the Scratch Statistics site, and some of it will also appear on one's My Stuff Page. Some are for reference for the Scratch Team.

Following this, an account will be created with a default Scratch Cat icon. The new user will start off being a New Scratcher. To become a Scratcher, one needs to "Participate on Scratch More" by following people, confirming their email, sharing projects, making constructive comments, being active, etc.

Definition

There has been some discussion on what a Scratcher actually is. It can be any of the following:

• A user with a user account on the Scratch Website
• A user that has shared projects
• A user who uses Scratch
• A user with the "Scratcher" status (in contrast to the "New Scratcher" status)

The meaning most commonly used is the first: a user on the Scratch Website. The second most common is number 4: A user with the "Scratcher" status.

Status

The error that appears if one attempts to become a Scratcher too early.

When a new user joins, they are assigned the "New Scratcher" status. This poses restrictions, including not being able to use Cloud Data and waiting 2 minutes between posts on the Discussion Forums.
In order to get the "Scratcher" status, a New Scratcher must:

• Have a verified email address.
• Have at least 2 shared projects.
• Have been on Scratch for a certain amount of time (at least 2 weeks, but usually 1 month).
• Be active on the website. This is a big part of becoming a Scratcher. Sharing projects regularly can be a way.
• Have comments and/or forum posts. (This is not necessary, but it does help.).
• Love and favorite Scratch projects.
• Have agreed to follow all Community Guidelines.

After becoming a Scratcher, one can:

• Create studios
• Use Cloud Data
• Become the host of a studio
• Have the 120-second rule reduced to the Sixty-Second Rule

Attempting to become a Scratcher too early will show an error stating that the user hasn't recieved an invite yet.

Ranks

Despite all members being Scratchers of some sort, there are some official ranks dividing users, and some unofficial ranks as well.

A user new to the Scratch program or website is often considered a New Scratcher. Users new to the website have this status as well, even if they have been using the program for a while.

Scratch Mentors were Scratchers who helped the Scratch Team with creating new Scratch Helper Groups programs (the Scratch Mentor program no longer exists). The Scratch Team are the administrators of the website, as well as the creators of Scratch. Officially, all other users are considered regular Scratchers, but some users differentiate based on their level of experience, activity, and what they specialize in. Curators and Scratch Design Studio curators are also grouped separately by some, and so are Retired Community Moderators.

This system was created to guard against spamming of the forums and comments, so New Scratchers have certain limitations (that spammers are unlikely to want to work around). They can be promoted to Scratcher status when they meet certain requirements.

Alert received when a user is invited to become a Scratcher

The Scratch Team has not published these requirements in detail; however, the user must have been registered on Scratch for at least two weeks, have been active and helpful around the site, and have agreed to follow all Community Guidelines.

When a user is eligible, they automatically receive an alert in their messages page and on their profile inviting them to become a Scratcher. If they choose to do so, they are taken through the Community Guidelines, and the New Scratcher limitations are lifted from them.

Note:

Community Moderators are Scratchers who have extra tools to help keep the community safe. In all other respects, they are like regular Scratchers. The program was discontinued, however, with the release of the 2.0 website.

Count

Main article: How many people use Scratch?

There are many users on the Scratch Website, with the number growing every day. As of May 2024, there are around 133,000,000 registered members.

See Also

• New Scratcher — the status given to a new user on Scratch
• Scratch Team — the status given to Scratch moderators and developers
• Scratch Mentor — the status given to an invited user from the Scratch Team that ended the Community Moderators program
• Student and Teacher Accounts — a special type of user, designed for classroom use