A sticky is a topic on the Scratch Forums which stays at the top of that particular forum. It is usually chosen because it is a useful topic, and so that it does not have to be constantly bumped back up.
Reasons for stickying
Common reasons for stickying include (but are not limited to):
- A helpful guide which is about something important to a certain forum.[1]
- A "directory" that lists certain topics in that forum (e.g. a directory for collaborations or suggestions).[2]
- A platform for a specific topic, so new threads do not have to be made (e.g. a topic to introduce New Scratchers, or a place to report a specific type of bug, such as in cloud data).[3]
- A topic that tells Scratchers what not to post in a certain forum (e.g. do not post English in the languages forums).[4]
- A "discuss the policies of this forum" topic, which allows Scratchers to ask, and get help, about what they should/shouldn't post in a particular forum.[5]
- A topic which lists ITopics for that forum.[6]
How topics are stickied
A Scratcher can suggest a topic to be stickied by using the report button, and typing in the reason "should be stickied" (or something similar). This will let a moderator know about it. A moderator will review it, and if it is important enough to stay at the top of that forum, it will be stickied. Not all stickies are made by the Scratch Team; in fact, most of them are not.[7][8] However, if the Scratch Team feels that there is a point that should be covered by a topic, they will generally make one.
There is currently a guide moratorium, so guides will only be stickied if they are taking over from the previous guide owner, or have special permission from the Scratch Team.[9]
ITopics
- Main article: ITopic
In forums with a lot of stickies, the ITopic system is used to prevent clutter: instead of being made into stickies themselves, some important topics are listed in a sticky. Those topics are called ITopics.
Directories
Another version of the ITopic is the directory, which lists topics (which are not necessarily stickies) that people can request. Some are for advertising, some for announcing, and many other types- all depending on the purpose of the forum. There is at least one directory in most forums.
Stickies in each forum
Each forum has its own stickies:
Welcome to Scratch
The Welcome to Scratch forums consist of two forums, Announcements and New Scratchers. The Announcements forum, has one sticky, which is a directory for that forum. The New Scratchers forum has seven stickies,[10] and many ITopics, mainly to help New Scratchers learn the basics.
Making Scratch Projects
These forums have stickies that are mainly guides to what each forum is about. They tell Scratchers things, such as how to make better projects, how to find better/create ideas, and how to get the most out of each forum.
About Scratch
Stickies in these forums are mostly about how to use the specific forums. They tell Scratchers about the policies of each individual forum.
Interests beyond Scratch
These forums have the least stickies, but those that are there are mainly about how to use, and what to post in those forums. The Things I'm Reading and Playing forum notably(similar to a few other forums) has a directory, so that users can easily access topics that they find interesting and make sure they aren't making a duplicate topic.
Other Languages
These forums generally only have one sticky, telling English speaking Scratchers not to post in English. Some of the more developed forums, such as the Dutch and Indonesian forums, have more stickies. The very last forum in this section is also an exception, with a sticky called "Translating Scratch into Other Languages".
Forum Directories
A forum directory is a sticky that directs users around the different topics in one specific forum. A list of current forum directories can be found below.
- Announcements Directory (version 1, owned by makethebrainhappy)
- Help With Scripts Directory (version 1, owned by scratchinghead)
- Project Ideas Directory (version 6, owned by KangaCoder)
- Collaborations Directory (version 11, owned by scratchykit5743)
- Shop (Requests) Directory (version 20, owned by 78ch3)
- Level Code Topic Directory (Project Save & Level Codes Directory) (version 2, owned by i_eat_coffee)
- Questions About Scratch Directory (version 7, owned by MythosLore)
- Suggestions Directory (version 7, owned by imfh)
- Common Issues List (Bugs and Glitches Directory) (owned by D-ScratchNinja)
- Scratch 3.0 Extension Directory (Developing Scratch Extensions Directory) (owned by RichieNB)
- Advanced Topics Directory (version 5, owned by starlightsparker)
- Open Source Projects Directory (version 2, owned by 7salad3salad)
- Things I'm Making and Creating Directory (version 6, owned by ElvenEmperor)
- Things I'm Reading and Playing Directory (version 5, owned by ThatOneWeirdDude)
During April Fools' Day 2021, there was also an April Fools' Day directory that was stickied in the Suggestions forum.[11] There was also an April Fools sticky on April 1st, 2023, but it is no longer accessible to most Scratchers.
References
- ↑ topic:134522
- ↑ topic:77558
- ↑ topic:4612
- ↑ topic:1140
- ↑ topic:4444
- ↑ topic:1046
- ↑ topic:372475
- ↑ topic:265219
- ↑ post:4658253
- ↑ scratch:discuss/6
- ↑ Za-Chary. (02/04/21). "I hope you enjoyed your April Fools' sticky — nice work!" post:5083461
