[PLEASE READ TO THE END] Before I begin, I just want to make it very clear that this message is not aimed at any specific person, group, or project. This is not a callout, this is not drama—this is simply a message to raise awareness about some ongoing problems in the Scratch community. One of the biggest issues right now is art theft. People are spending hours—sometimes days—on creating their art, only to have it stolen, reposted, or used without credit. It’s incredibly disheartening. Even worse, when the original artist tries to speak up, they’re sometimes told they’re “overreacting” or “gatekeeping.” That’s not okay. Respecting someone’s work means asking for permission, giving proper credit, and being honest about where your assets come from. Scrtach is supposed to be a place where we can post/do the things that we enjoy, like art for example. And as it gets stolen it prevents us from posting anymore due to being scared of it being stolen again. Another really concerning issue is the hate and negativity being spread around. Whether it’s harsh comments, rude remixes meant to mock people, or even entire projects made just to criticize others—this is not the kind of environment people should be on. Some users have been bullied off the site entirely. That should never happen here. Everyone comes to Scratch to be creative and have fun, and no one should feel like they’re being judged, targeted, or pushed out. This includes new users, younger Scratchers, and people from all backgrounds. We need to remember that there's a real person behind every profile and treat each other with basic respect and kindness. And then there's the drama. Sometimes it's small things that get blown out of proportion, and sometimes it's bigger community-wide arguments. Either way, it spreads fast and does nothing but cause division. People start taking sides, projects get made about the drama, and suddenly the focus is no longer on creating—it's on fighting. While it’s okay to feel upset when something wrong happens, it’s not okay to let that turn into witch-hunting or cancel culture. Accountability is important, but it has to come with empathy and communication—not attacks. No one should feel like they can't go on this site anymore because of stuff they have seen/been through on this website. But there are also awesome people here, that have learned from their mistakes and tried their absolute best to fix them and change. And I just want to shout out a few people that I really think have been through a lot and are trying to change. ... @Breadmaster_Adder , they are absolutely one of the best artist I've ever met, and even if they have made a few mistakes they have tried everything they can to amend them. ... @-stargummy- … @pepprminte again like the rest they have made some mistakes, but after apologizing profusely they turned out to be a SUPER great artist, friend, and they are just in general a really funny and great person. And this is just a few of the many that are trying so hard to change, and I just want to say thank you. <333 I'm just here to simply spread awareness for what I'm noticing, other people might feel differently and that's totally okay. If you got this far I can't express my gratitude. <33 Please stay safe yall - Raven (@-Silentwoods-)
