Last online option removed

[druuu]

I haven't used steam for about a year and I come back and a whole lot has changed. Mostly good stuff but...

The thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that you can't see when someone was last online, if you're not friends. That is so dumb.
It's a very useful information to know, for example if I need someone asap I know when to expect their response. Or maybe someone has stopped using steam and will never log in, but I'll never know.

People say: "oh strangers shouldn't know this it's dangerous". In that case you should set your whole profile on private.

Sorry if this has already been discussed. I'm way late on this, but had to post this.

[Frank ツ]

I believe its a privacy setting from the actual user

[crunchyfrog]

Yeah, I think Frank has it right - I'm sure I've seen it somewhere as a setting you can enable.

[Blueberry {JESUS IS LORD}]

it shows for some friends for me and other friends its blank

[druuu]

Originally posted by Frank:

I believe its a privacy setting from the actual user

I believe you're wrong.

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by dru:

Originally posted by Frank:

I believe its a privacy setting from the actual user

I believe you're wrong.

No, it's correct. It's a privacy aspect where non-friends cannot see when you were last online. There is also a security element to it also whereby scammers cannot determine the active status of an account to target effectively.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by dru:

Originally posted by Frank:

I believe its a privacy setting from the actual user

I believe you're wrong.

Nope. As with anything like this on Steam, you can rest assured there's good security reasons for this.

I have a general rule of thumb that I advise everyone to think of when they either think of a new idea for Steam or wonder how something works - ASSUME it can be exploited.

And this absolutely can.

You've no doubt seen the many posts we get every day, year in year out on here about "help, I've had my account stolen"? Yeah, well imagine if those same phishers wanted to do whatever they wanted and had access to a given account - wouldn't it make sense to monitor when the real owner actually goes online and to do whatever you wish at other times?

You see the problem?

[druuu]

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

Originally posted by dru:

I believe you're wrong.

Nope. As with anything like this on Steam, you can rest assured there's good security reasons for this.

I have a general rule of thumb that I advise everyone to think of when they either think of a new idea for Steam or wonder how something works - ASSUME it can be exploited.

And this absolutely can.

You've no doubt seen the many posts we get every day, year in year out on here about "help, I've had my account stolen"? Yeah, well imagine if those same phishers wanted to do whatever they wanted and had access to a given account - wouldn't it make sense to monitor when the real owner actually goes online and to do whatever you wish at other times?

You see the problem?

Don't be a moron and get your account stolen?

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by dru:

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

Nope. As with anything like this on Steam, you can rest assured there's good security reasons for this.

I have a general rule of thumb that I advise everyone to think of when they either think of a new idea for Steam or wonder how something works - ASSUME it can be exploited.

And this absolutely can.

You've no doubt seen the many posts we get every day, year in year out on here about "help, I've had my account stolen"? Yeah, well imagine if those same phishers wanted to do whatever they wanted and had access to a given account - wouldn't it make sense to monitor when the real owner actually goes online and to do whatever you wish at other times?

You see the problem?

Don't be a moron and get your account stolen?

Sweepingly daft to say that.

It's great to be high and nighty and think you're not one of those stupid people who suffers misfortunate and silliness, but reality doesn't work like that.

Nor can you runa business like that.

And that's the point. Go look at any of the posts we regularly get on here regarding accounts thefts. Many are not morons in the slightest. The problem is that Valve is dealing with an INTERNATIONAL store across all ages and corcumstances. You MUST Have empathy for that, but also the nature of gaming is it's a RELAXING pasttime (or supposed to be) and people will do all sorts of daft things in a moment they're not concentrating.

So no, saying something as dismissive as "don't be a moron and get your account stolen" is completely useless.

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by dru:

The thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that you can't see when someone was last online, if you're not friends. That is so dumb.

On or about Feb 5, 2020 this was removed. And it's not dumb. No one needs to know that information outside of a friends list. It's not relevant.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Last online status wasn't really useful anyways. It was triggered by signing into the friends list as online. Even invisible made it never update.

My alt account has been offline for half a year but I was playing games in it a couple days ago.

[kitt]

so how exactly does knowing the last online status gives you a response from them in a timely manner when you are apparently not even "friends" with them? you still have to add them, they still can ignore you.

you seem to rely on such a weird aspect...

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by kitt:

so how exactly does knowing the last online status gives you a response from them in a timely manner when you are apparently not even "friends" with them? you still have to add them, they still can ignore you.

you seem to rely on such a weird aspect...

Actually, you cut to the chase there. A really good point.

[Apathetic]

i just want this so i can stalk the people who remove me as a friend from the shadows.