When you are no longer a "Pillar of Community"

[budozero]

I was discussing this with a friend the other night, I did a search here, but cant find any previous related posts. So here goes :p

Maybe its just me, but when I see a profile with a forum, game, VAC or trade ban, and right next to it the "Pillar of Community / Community Ambassador / Community Leader" badge, it annoys me.

Its petty perhaps, but I would love to see this badge removed or reset from anyone who earns themselves a forum, game, VAC or trade ban.

I could see issues with this similar to the "VAC collector" issue that lead to the amount of VAC bans a user have being removed from the profile, people purposly going to "unearn" the badge, so I dont know what would be best between a reset or total removal of the badge and ability to earn it again.

Anyway, thats my suggestion, no "Pillar of Community / Community Ambassador / Community Leader" of STEAM should have a forum, game, VAC or trade ban on their profiles.

[The End]

"Pillar of Community / Community Ambassador / Community Leader" is nothing but words, they have no meaning what so ever, everyone can earn this badge without doing a single thing for the community, it does not make you a better user or customer if you have that badge.

IMO. That badge should only be given to those who actually do something for the community, as it is now it's no different than achivements for games, it's only for your own pleasure.

If the badge makes you feel special, fine, but here is a hint, you're not.

BTW.
I have a bigger problem with Valves new "feature" accounts with VACbans older than 7years get the red "VAC ban" hidden on the account.

[budozero]

Its just words, and I am suggesting those words can be changed.

Obviously I dont need a hint, everyone understands whats involved in earning the badge (or any other). There is nothing special about it, which is a good reason it should be possible to change.

[budozero]

Originally posted by 🌜Rockon🌛:

BTW.
I have a bigger problem with Valves new "feature" VACbans older than 7years get the red "VAC ban" hidden on the account.

That I agree 100% with, I also expect that will promote more account sales of older accounts, leading to "unexplained" VAC bans.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

you can still see if the account has a vac ban after 7 years. your point is moot.

[Sovietball]

Originally posted by 🌜Rockon🌛:

"Pillar of Community / Community Ambassador / Community Leader" is nothing but words, they have no meaning what so ever, everyone can earn this badge without doing a single thing for the community, it does not make you a better user or customer if you have that badge.

IMO. That badge should only be given to those who actually do something for the community, as it is now it's no different than achivements for games, it's only for your own pleasure.

If the badge makes you feel special, fine, but here is a hint, you're not.

BTW.
I have a bigger problem with Valves new "feature" accounts with VACbans older than 7years get the red "VAC ban" hidden on the account.

Well what would be a good reason for the badge? I helped out in vac for a quater to half of a year, does that deserve it? Its hard to say

[The Giving One]

I personally understand that some users don't really take the community leader/ambassador/pillar badges very seriously. This is also exampled in the "posting for the badge" that still goes on in the forums sometimes.

Therefore, I don't see a problem with this suggestion. It's just one more thorn in the side of an account that is used to cheat with.

I guess there could easily be exceptions for phone number or library sharing causes of VAC bans. The user can already see when those are the direct cause of the VAC ban.

But when an account is directly used to cheat with, I think it is a good suggestion to remove that/those badge(s). And also, make it so that account can never get the badge(s) back either.

Even after 7 years, they could not get the badge again. Yes, since it is still easy to see if the account has a VAC ban or not after 7 years, then it would not matter that the badge(s) was/were removed.

If Valve keeps the 7 year thing, that still would not be obvious upon first glance that the account had a VAC ban. It is just as easy to see the 7 year old VAC ban on an account as it is to search for a badge that perhaps, the user never earned in the first place. Or, that was removed due to being VAC banned.

So I agree with this suggestion. And I think the SSA even covers things like this, as in specifically the content being removed on the account (badge).

[HEART]

I actually will go out on a limb and agree with the OP here. Community Leader, etc. all imply good character and integrity.

The badge should not imply judgment of any kind. I can assure you that there are people of questionable morality and character that do NOT have a VAC ban.

Rather than make this judgment, they should rename the badges from the beginning for everyone going forward, not remove or rename them for those that receive a VAC.

A neutral title such as Community Participant comes to mind.

[The End]

Originally posted by SilverSun Moon 0430:

I actually will go out on a limb and agree with the OP here. Community Leader, etc. all imply good character and integrity.

Then people with tradeban, gameban, forumban and so forth should all lose the badge.


IMO. Valve should remove it completely, because it's used by scammers to fool new users.

[HEART]

Originally posted by 🌜Rockon🌛:

Originally posted by SilverSun Moon 0430:

I actually will go out on a limb and agree with the OP here. Community Leader, etc. all imply good character and integrity.

Then people with tradeban, gameban, forumban and so forth should all lose the badge.


IMO. Valve should remove it completely, because it's used by scammers to fool new users.

I'm saying EVERYONE should have the badge renamed or better yet, as you say, remove it completely, though I do think it is a good tool to expose people to many features of Steam.

[budozero]

Originally posted by 󠀠:

So what, in the grand scheme of things a VAC banned user loses up to 600 XP and one badge ? Go Away. BIG DEAL!

I dont care if they keep the XP, its just the display of the badge.
If you think there are bigger issues, feel free to make a suggestion thread about that :p

Originally posted by 󠀠:

I'll tell you what. If they are truly not "Pillar of Community" or "Community Leader" they will have a COMMUNITY BAN.

I am speaking specifically about VAC and game bans, cheating in games and violating the SSA do not seem to be community friendly activiy.

Originally posted by The Giving One:

I guess there could easily be exceptions for phone number or library sharing causes of VAC bans. The user can already see when those are the direct cause of the VAC ban.

But when an account is directly used to cheat with, I think it is a good suggestion to remove that/those badge(s). And also, make it so that account can never get the badge(s) back either.

Allowing access to your account or phone number, to people who cheat is not perticularly community spirited either, but I can see what you mean, the directly affected account would be the one where its removed.

Originally posted by SilverSun Moon 0430:

The badge should not imply judgment of any kind. I can assure you that there are people of questionable morality and character that do NOT have a VAC ban.

I am not trying to imply that we should use the badge instead of common sense or give it mor meaning then it has, everyone knows how easy it is to get the badge.

Like I said in my original post, its perhaps a bit petty, but it just always strikes me as strange to see it next to a VAC / Game ban.

But if renaming it (so it cannot even imply importance) would also resolve my "issue". If it more specifically just points out you completed xyz tasks.

Originally posted by 🌜Rockon🌛:

IMO. Valve should remove it completely, because it's used by scammers to fool new users.

That or a name change I could get on board with.

[HEART]

Good thread btw. Some thoughtful discussion going on.

[The Giving One]

Well, as of now, they have added the Voting on Workshop content to the list of things affected by a VAC banned account.

http://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/9/1489992080520822790/?ctp=2#c1489992080525015094

EDIT...Now, updated and exampled here....

http://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/9/1489992080503875627/?tscn=1512089188#c1489992713694110002

(Support page)

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4044-QDHJ-5691&l=#voting

So now, in my opinion, this seem just a step away maybe, or could be, and maybe even more valid than before.

They took this step, so why not another one and remove the badge ?

Yes, some think it is pretty much meaningless, that badge...but consider this fact...

Most of us here are very familiar with "badge spam". Heck, even not but a few weeks ago, the mods had to move the Help and Tips forum down and the New to Steam up, for one reason I can only guess, was because of all the new spam.

And we remember the last time that was a problem, before they changed it to "search" instead of "post" in the forums, to earn the badge. Still, people spam sometimes for the badge even today.

My point is this......

It seems that many DO care about getting that badge, otherwise they would not go through so much effort to get it, as in the final qualifying factor depending on the level of badge, for searching instead of posting.

When you consider this fact, it seems logical that they would also care about it getting removed, due to being VAC (or game and I submit adding trade even) banned on their accounts, and maybe.......just maybe that would lessen the problem of cheating a bit more.

Now we all know how much people hate cheaters and we have seen all the complaining about that all over the forums....many times.

So why would anyone be against something that may lessen the problem of cheating ? I vote a hard yes on this, and hope that Valve will consider it now or more if they have seen this or thought of it before.

[76109108007942031]

I'd rather just have the name changed to be honest, I'm hardly a pillar of the community despite never getting banned from a game.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Charlemagne the Great:

I'd rather just have the name changed to be honest, I'm hardly a pillar of the community despite never getting banned from a game.

I'd say since your account does not have any bans, that makes you more of a pillar of the community than you may think.

[76109108007942031]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

Originally posted by Charlemagne the Great:

I'd rather just have the name changed to be honest, I'm hardly a pillar of the community despite never getting banned from a game.

I'd say since your account does not have any bans, that makes you more of a pillar of the community than you may think.

Well, I've gotten forum bans in the past, hence why I specified "game bans". :P