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The subject of this article or section has changed dramatically and requires updating. Some information or images may not be accurate or relevant to the current version of Scratch, the Scratch website, or the article subject. (April 2020) |
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This article or section documents something not included in the current version of Scratch (3.0). It is only useful from a historical perspective. |
Scratch Mentors was a program implemented to replace the ended Community Moderators program. It was by invitation from the Scratch Team only,[1] and Scratch Mentors had their own discussion forum. The Scratch Mentors program was confirmed on February 10th, 2020 to be officially retired.[2]
Reasoning
| “ | We decided to retire the community moderators program because we want to create a new role with a different focus – less on moderation, and more on helping Scratchers make awesome stuff (both with “Scratch the programming tool” and in “Scratch the community”). As some have already seen from the discussion forum pull-down menus, part of the program will be called “Scratch Mentors.” We're working on co-creating it with the first cohort of Scratch mentors now. Part of their role will be focused on supporting other ways for Scratchers to contribute to the community (i.e. helping Scratchers get un-stuck when working on challenging projects, or helping maintain and improve Scratch design studios, for example. ) Becoming a community moderator was a way for a few Scratchers to contribute to Scratch and the Scratch community. Soon there will be many more ways for Scratchers to help out - which is something that Scratchers have told us they want for a very long time. | ” |
– Lightnin, on behalf of the Scratch Team[3] | ||
Tasks
While it is still unknown exactly what the mentors did, mentor ErnieParke wrote the following:
| “ | Scratch Mentors are Scratchers that work with the Scratch Team. Primarily, we discuss Scratch topics with the ST. For example, we have helped with April Fools, and how the community is doing. One of the original goals of the group was to be heavily community involved, however that has not occurred to the level of original expectations. The group is mainly member led, with low input from the Scratch Team. | ” |
– ErnieParke, July 9, 2016[4] | ||
Publicly Released Projects
On April Fools' Day 2014, the Scratch Mentors and Scratch Team released their first collaboration, which was the day's pranks. Scratch Mentors helped contribute by giving the Scratch Team ideas for the day, creating projects, helping find projects for the featured prank studios, and other various tasks.
On April 22, 2014, the second collaboration between the Scratch Team and Scratch Mentors was released, called the Scripts Team. Scratch Mentors helped by discussing various aspects of the program with the Scratch Team, giving ideas for various aspects of the helper program, thinking of ideas, and creating projects to help with the rollout.
In late 2014, the Scratch Mentors announced an unofficial series of projects with the hint, "??????? ???????". Users had to guess what letters the question marks were to find out the title. On March 26, 2015, it was revealed it was "Scratch Mystery" and the first part was released. The series revolves around the mystery of who kidnapped Scratch Cat as Tera discovers when she arrives for her appointment. The first part can be viewed here.
Scratch Helper Groups
The Scratch Mentors also collaborated with the Scratch Team to create and maintain Scratch Helper Groups. Scratch Helper Groups was a way for normal Scratchers to get involved and help out the Scratch community without having any extra role that they were invited to.
Welcoming Committee
- Main article: Welcoming Committee
The Welcoming Committee is an official studio that was created by the Scratch Team in 2012,[5] and it is used to welcome new Scratchers and answer any questions that they may have. It was considered one of the two Scratch Helper Groups, and it continues to run today. Although this group was not created by the Scratch Mentors, committee members helped maintain the studio, while most of the mentors curated the studio[6] and kept it running.
One can join by submitting a project to the studio that welcomes New Scratchers and having a curator add it for them. Once their project is in the studio, they are officially a member of the Scratch Welcoming Committee, but becoming a member does not mean becoming a curator.
Scripts Team
- Main article: Scripts Team
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This article or section documents something not included in the current version of Scratch (3.0). It is only useful from a historical perspective. |
The Scripts Team was the other Scratch Helper Group which is now retired. It was a studio where anybody can submit a link to their project in the comments of the studio if they needed help with scripting in it. A member of the studio would then help them solve the scripting problem. To join, you used to have to make a project that explains how to do something in Scratch, and a Scratch Mentor would review your project and accept you as a member if they thought you would be a good member of the studio. The joining process then changed as an effort to become more inclusive.
| “ | At the start of this helper group, the Scripts Team member had two tasks: (1) help curate the Scripts Workshop and (2) help Scratchers with their projects. We want to you to continue doing the first task of helping curate the Scripts Workshop. However, in helping Scratchers with their projects, we want everyone to be able to participate in that, regardless if you are a Scripts Team member or not. (We understand that many discussed this point.) Rather than discouraging potential helpers who are not members, we would like to ask Scripts Team members to help Scratchers help each other—in addition to helping Scratchers directly. Think of the role as a “facilitator of helping.” By helping Scratchers help, they can point Scratchers to resources, make additional suggestions, and find people to help answer questions. | ” |
– ricarose[7] | ||
Other Groups
Another group known as the Extension Developers Group was created as part of an early-adopter program for extensions, this group had private access to the Extension Developer's Forum before it was phased out.
Selection and Membership
Currently, not much is known about the selection process other then the fact that members are chosen by the Scratch Team. Once chosen, future Scratch Mentors would receive a comment on one of their projects or their profile page by a Scratch Team member. This comment asked if the user would like to be a Scratch Mentor, and if the user accepts, they would become one.
At the same time when new mentors are being chosen, the Scratch Team does a check-up with all of the current mentors asking them if they would like to continue having their role. It was a simple checkup done by the Scratch Team, and they just ask if they would like to continue, as well as anything else requested by the Scratch Team.
Past Members
On October 12, 2013, the first three mentors were announced and the program was officially released. The three original mentors that were invited were ErnieParke, LiFaytheGoblin, and P110.[8] In late May 2014, 2 new mentors were chosen. The 2 people that were invited to become Scratch Mentors were dolphingirl36,[9] and EH7meow.[10]
Scratch Mentors Forum
At the top of the main forums is a forum for Scratch Mentors. Like the Moderator Forum, this forum was only accessible by the Scratch Team and Scratch Mentors, but it behaved like a regular forum in the Scratch Forums. Mainly, it was used for discussions about various Scratch programs between the Scratch Team and the Scratch Mentors.
Scratch Helper Groups (forum)
- Main article: Scratch Helper Groups (forum)
In the past, the Scratch Helper Groups forum was moderated not just by moderators and the Scratch Team, but also by the Scratch Mentors. Along with the responsibility, Scratch Mentors and the Scratch Team were the only people who can post a topic in the Scratch Helper Group forums, but anyone was able to post in this forum.
