Curator (front page)

This article is about the Scratcher who picks projects to be displayed on the front page. For other uses, see Curator (disambiguation).

The curator row on the front page.

A front page curator (commonly abbreviated as FPC) is a Scratcher who, for one week, curates (selects and places on the front page, below the Featured Studios) five projects of their choice on the Projects Curated by () row in Front Page via their recent favorites. The curator can choose whatever projects they like in that week and change them, as long as the projects meets some criterias.

History

Front page curators were introduced on May 5, 2009. A thread in the Announcements forum declared the future row for the front page. It asked users to apply for the position, and many did.

On June 1, 2009, the curator row was implemented, with cheddargirl as the first curator. The original title of the curator row was "Projects Curated by [user]", with [user] being a link to the current curator's Profile Page. This, however, was changed within the first few days after it was discovered that many Scratchers confused the word "curator" with "creator" and were ignoring the projects favorited by the curator. This was changed back in Scratch 2.0, though it still does not link to the curator's user page. Because the design of the channel title was drawing attention away from the projects selected by the curator, the title was renamed to "Projects Selected by Curator" and the link to the curator's user page was removed. The current title of the channel is supplemented with a "Learn more" link, which leads to a studio where Scratchers can apply for the position and learn more about the role. Some Scratchers suggested to add the link to the curator's Profile Page back.

Curators were not available immediately with the release of Scratch 2.0. It was put back on May 30, 2013, and the first curator was OrcaCat. The row was also renamed back to "Projects Curated by [curator]", but without a link.

On the 8th of August, 2015, it was announced that the length of a curator shift would be shortened, from 2 weeks to 1 week, in an announcement by the Scratch Team. Really_A was the last user to have a two-week shift.

“	We've seen an extraordinary high number of applications to become the Front Page Curator. Alas, we've only been picking one every two weeks. However, in an effort to give more Scratchers an opportunity to be a curator, we're shortening Front Page Curator shift from two weeks to one week. We hope this will help spread the awesomeness that is being Front Page Curator!	”
– Speakvisually, Scratch Team at MIT

On 28^th August, 2023, it was announced that curator shifts will start and end on Wednesdays at 12pm ET, instead of Mondays at 5pm ET. This is effective from 6^th September, 2023.

On 24^th July, 2024, the curator program was shut down temporarily due to issues occuring on the front page. As of 28^th August, 2024, the program had been restarted.

Application and Selection

In order to apply, a user must create a Front Page Curator Application project (abbreviated as an FPCA) explaining the types of projects they enjoy and what projects they would curate., as well as a sample studio containing examples of projects they would curate. The FPCA must contain a link to the sample studio. The user then need to post a link to their FPCA in a comment in the Front Page Curator Applications studio, and a studio curator of the FPCA studio will add the FPCA to it. A Scratch Team member (usually ceebee) will then view the applications and select users to become curators. Applying to be a curator does not guarantee the position; most Scratchers who apply are not chosen.

If a Scratcher has applied and not been chosen, they can either update their application or make a new one. Scratchers should not make multiple applications unless they have been waiting for a long amount of time, usually at least 3 months.

“	It's ok to repost your application once per month, but any more often than that can make things get kinda spammy. We do review every application, so don't worry- as long as you've posted once every few months, your application will be considered.	”
– Lightnin, Scratch Team at MIT

Scratchers cannot apply to get a second curator shift. However, Scratchers can sometimes be offered a second shift from the Scratch Team for various reasons, such as the next curator not being available.

Tips for Making a Good Application

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See also: How do I become a Front Page Curator?

Some tips for a good application include:

• Giving examples of the type of projects one would curate, including why. A broader spectrum of projects is better than a specific type of project like games or art.
• Explaining why one would want to be. Give specific reasons and examples.
• Telling how one will pick projects. List requirements and limits for the user and the projects one would choose.
• Having added creativity as opposed to just text. Try adding images, audio, music, and interactivity with the user.
• Saying how often one will choose projects.
• Describing oneself a little bit in their application can go a long way. It is important that the Scratch Team members reviewing one's application get a better idea of what kind of FPC one would become.
• Making the project neat and presentable will draw attention.
• Making the project thumbnail more attractive will create a better first impression.
• Choose a specific theme for one's application like 'Animals'.

Also, stating the fact that one would want to be a curator and nothing else, will most likely result in not becoming selected as curator.

This studio was approved by the Scratch Team and created so Scratchers could submit their applications to be reviewed. Other users then review the project and give feedback and advice on how to make their application better.

List of Curators

Main article: Curator (front page)/List of Curators

There have been 613 curators since the program started. The current curator is Furret_Productions.

Curator Projects and Studios

It is common (though not required) for a curator to make a curator project stating that they will be curator and would appreciate ideas on what to curate. It is also common for these types of projects to contain rules on what the curator will curate so as to help filter ideas before they get posted as a suggestion. Some curators have also added further features to their curator project, ranging from music to a game, and to art work. Others use suggestion studios or their FPCA for project suggestions.

Curating Projects

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The curator can curate any project as long as:

• The projects are not their own or their friends'
• The projects does not belong to a member of the Scratch Team^{[citation needed]}
• The projects follows the Community Guidelines
• The projects are not marked NFE

Curators needs to curate at least 5 projects every other day but the Scratch Team encourages them to curate projects every day.

The Scratch Team recommends curators to have at least 7 projects in their favorites that is appropriate for the Front Page in case a project will not appear on the Front Page. Some curators create studios for "backup" projects, in case this occurs.

The Projects Curated by () row will not appear if the current curator has under 5 favorite projects.

See Also

• Projects Curated by ()
• Curator (front page)/List of Curators
• How to Nominate Yourself to be a Scratch Front Page Curator