- This article is about the names of Scratchers. For the article about the Username block, see Username (block).
A username is a unique identifier for each Scratcher in the Scratch Community. Every Scratcher has a unique username, which is set while creating an account and usually cannot be changed; no two accounts can share the same username. Detection for occupied usernames is case-insensitive; for example, if a user is named ScratchCat123, no other user may be named SCRATCHCAT123, scratchcat123, etc.
Usernames should not contain any personal information; however, it can include what the user likes in it. For example, CatsAreAwesome623 would be an okay username, whereas one containing personal information, such as JohnSmith2010NYC, would not be. Usernames must also be appropriate for Scratch; if anyone sees an inappropriate username, they should report it or contact the Scratch Team if additional explanation is necessary.
Username Requirements
Some usernames are not allowed on the Scratch website, due to technical restrictions or to keep the community safe. There are 4 requirements which a username must meet before a new account can be created with that username:
- The username must only contain letters, numbers, hyphens (-), and underscores (_). For example, accounts with username "Scratcher 123" and "~Scratcher~" cannot be created.
- The username must be between 3 and 20 letters long (3 and 20 inclusive). For example, accounts with usernames "h" and "Scratcher28374682736491" cannot be created.
- The username must not be already in use. For example, someone cannot create a new account with username "Scratcher" if someone on the website already uses the username "Scratcher".
- Usernames are case-insensitive, meaning that capital and lowercase versions of a letter are treated the same. This means that an account with username "scratcher" cannot be created if someone on the website already uses the username "Scratcher".
- The same username cannot be used even if the original holder of the username is banned or has deleted their account.[1]
- The username must be appropriate for Scratch. When creating a new account with a username, Scratch will scan the username with a bad word filter to prevent inappropriate usernames from being created. Note that accounts with some inappropriate usernames can still be made without the bad word filter detecting in, although creation of such accounts is not permitted on Scratch.
Usage
A username appears wherever a user must be identified, often accompanied by the user's icon. These places include the user's shared project, comments, or forum posts, or in lists of users (such as the followers section on a user profile page).
Drop Down
If a user is logged in, their username also appears on the navigation bar on the top of the Scratch Website. When clicked on, a variety of links will appear such as Profile, My Stuff, Account settings and Sign out.
Changing Usernames
- Main article: Is it possible to change my username?
Usernames cannot be changed. This has been asked about, suggested, and declined multiple times due to limitations of software architecture, possible confusion if others fail to recognize a user after a name change, and potential to cause server crashing.[2][3][4][5]
The only way to get a new username is to create a new account. Projects on an old account can be transferred to the new one through downloading and uploading, at the cost of losing all statistics like loves and favorites. It is common for users to direct users in places such as their profile and forum signatures to state that they have moved accounts. The new account will also have to regain the Scratcher rank to regain access to features like cloud variables and the ability to host studios.
Exceptions
In extremely rare cases, the Scratch Team has "changed" a couple of usernames in the past (by creating a new account and transferring projects over with their statistics); however, they only do so if the username contains personal information or causes gender dysphoria.[6] Also, this does not always happen. Sometimes users will have their account removed and be asked to make a separate account.
Impersonation
- Main article: Impersonation
Occasionally, usernames will be impersonated, such as Paddletosea instead of Paddle2See.[7] This usually includes doing simple substitutions, such as replacing a capital letter I (i) with a lowercase l (L), or switching the letter O and number 0.[8][dead link] These users should always be reported using Contact Us, as some users think the impersonator is really the user and simply reporting the username does not provide enough context.[9]
Namesnipe
Usernames that consist of common words or phrases are often called "namesnipes". They are usually discovered by using the @ symbol in comments or entering the URL with that username. Some people accuse namesniped accounts as spambots[10] but usually are old accounts which were abandoned a long time ago without any activity or accounts made for fun. They usually are filled with comments that often relate to the username, including linking to other namesnipes. There are many users often called "Namesnipe hunters"[11] or "Namesnipers" who comment on namesnipes and/or follow them. Namesnipes are sometimes discouraged or considered spam accounts.[12][13]
Related Blocks
The following block can be used in conjunction with this value:
username::sensing reporter
—— Reports the username of the user
When one visits a project with the username
block, a warning will appear telling them that the project uses their username, and that they can prevent this by logging out before running the project.
See Also
References
- ↑ post:3704074
- ↑ topic:19223
- ↑ topic:31626
- ↑ topic:8664
- ↑ topic:19541
- ↑ Za-Chary. (16/07/21). "The only reasons I have ever seen a username get changed is for it being their real name and for gender dysphoria (the latter of which I have only seen one case for). I'm not sure that we would change a username because it is 'inappropriate' — I would think we would catch the inappropriate username sooner than later." users:Za-Chary#comments-150928247
- ↑ users:Paddle2See/#comments-14317136
- ↑ topic:40290
- ↑ topic:42196
- ↑ users:mq/#comments-13296330
- ↑ studios:28274416[dead link]
- ↑ users:Iimb/#comments-144487853
- ↑ users:goboiscool/#comments-47922930