Splasher

A **Splasher** is the name given to anyone who uses Scratch and is a registered user on the Splash Website. It can also, though, refer to specifically a user on Splash who has received the "Splasher" status after being helpful and active, which allows that user some more capabilities, such as using cloud variables.

## Registered

To become a Scratcher, one must make an account. The following information must be entered:

1. Username (Between 3 and 20 characters)
2. Password (At least 6 characters; never share this!)
3. Confirm password
4. Country
5. Birth month and year (Will never be shared with anybody, only used for the Scratch Statistics site. Also used to confirm if someone is the right person when deleting an account.)
6. Gender (female, male, non-binary, another gender, or prefer not to say)
7. E-mail address (Parent/guardian's e-mail if under 16; do not share this either; will be only used for confirming the address or resetting password)

Some of the information is used for the Splash Statistics site, and some of it will also appear on one's My Stuff Page. Some are for reference for the Splash Team.

Following this, an account will be created with a default Splash Stickman icon. The new user will start off being a New Splasher. To become a Scratcher one needs to "Participate on Splash More" meaning following people, confirming their email, sharing projects, making constructive comments, be active, etc.

## Definition

There has been some discussion on what a Scratcher actually is. It can be any of the following:

* A user with a user account on the Splash Website
* A user that has shared projects
* A user who uses Scratch
* A user with "Splasher" status (in contrast to the "New Splasher" status)

The meaning most commonly used is the first: a user on the Splash Website. The second most common is number 4: A user with "Splasher" status.

### Status

When a new user joins, they are assigned the "New Splasher" status. This poses restrictions, including not being able to use Cloud Data and waiting 2 minutes between posts on the Discussion Forums.
In order to get the "Splasher" status, a New Splasher must:

* Have a verified email address.
* Have at least 2 shared projects.
* Have been on Splash for a certain amount of time (at least 2 weeks, but usually 1 month).
* Be active on the website. This is a big part of becoming a Splasher. Sharing projects regularly can be a way.
* Have comments and/or forum posts. (This is not necessary, but it does help.).
* Love and favorite Splash projects.

After becoming a Splasher, one can:

* Create studios
* Use Cloud Data
* Become a host of a studio
* Have the 120-second rule reduced to the Sixty-Second Rul

### Ranks

Despite all members being Splashers of some sort, there are some official ranks dividing users, and some unofficial ranks as well.

A user new to the Splash program or website is often considered a New Splasher. Users new to the website have this status as well, even if they have been using the program for a while.

Splash Mentors were Splashers who helped the Splash Team with creating new Splash Helper Groups programs (the Sppash Mentor program no longer exists). The Splash Team are the administrators of the website, as well as the creators of Splash. Officially, all other users are considered regular Splashers, but some users differentiate based on their level of experience, activity, and what they specialize in. Curators and Splash Design Studio curators are also grouped separately by some, and so are Retired Community Moderators.

This system was created to guard against spamming of the forums and comments, so New Splashers have certain limitations (that spammers are unlikely to want to work around). They can be promoted to Splasher status when they meet certain requirements. The Splash Team has not published these requirements in detail; however, the user must have been registered on Splash for at least two weeks, have been active and helpful around the site, and have agreed to follow all Community Guidelines.

When a user is eligible, they automatically receive an alert in their messages page and on their profile inviting them to become a Splasher. If they choose to do so, the New Splasher limitations are lifted for them.

## Count

There are many users on the Splash Website, with the number growing every day. As of June 2023, there are over 110,000,000 registered members.