Azza ☠ Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:38pm
Private Profiles - Displaying Steam Level
Should a private profile display the Steam Level of the account or not? I don't use it myself, but would like to point out it currently does both...

Directly going to a private profile will either not display it or shows Steam Level 0

However, indirectly going via your friends list (on your own profile page) or a public friend list from another Steam user profile. With that private profile added as a friend, it shows the Steam Level next to the username. If you hover over the username, it shows "Steam Level 0" there, but not next to it.
Last edited by Azza ☠; Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:44pm

Something went wrong while displaying this content. Refresh

Error Reference: Community_9734361_
Loading CSS chunk 7561 failed.
(error: https://community.fastly.steamstatic.com/public/css/applications/community/communityawardsapp.css?contenthash=789dd1fbdb6c6b5c773d)
< 1 2 >
Showing 1-15 of 20 comments
Aachen Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:46pm 
Why should level be exposed—on what would such information bear?
LowJack_VA1 Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:47pm 
I wouldn't mind this as a privacy option, but I wouldn't use it. I'd keep everything on my profile as private or friends-only.
Last edited by LowJack_VA1; Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:51pm
Aachen Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:50pm 
Originally posted by AAARRRGGHH!!!:
It would stop the very common thing on Steam where people seem to to think level 0 is a brand new account, not knowing level 0 is associated with private profiles.

No, it would not do that.
Azza ☠ Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:54pm 
Originally posted by AAARRRGGHH!!!:
Originally posted by Aachen:
Why should level be exposed—on what would such information bear?

It would stop the very common thing on Steam where people seem to to think level 0 is a brand new account, not knowing level 0 is associated with private profiles.

This... Level 0 appears like a new account, used for trolling or scamming, etc.

However, at the moment, a private profile is leaking the Steam Level anyways via indirect viewing on other public profiles (given you would have to know who's friended them to see it or be a friend of them yourself). So showing Steam Level 0 is just redundant? Should either just show or be hidden in all locations?
Last edited by Azza ☠; Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:55pm
Xautos Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:54pm 
Don't know why the levels themselves are included in the privacy information considering steam levels are an integral part of the way this system was designed by Valve. Makes no sense to hide the level itself as it doesn't mean anything.

It will also help to alleviate some users who see a suspect thread and see the OP's private profile and then jump to the wrong conclusion that they are level 0 troll account. Then comes the oh so easily abused ignore feature.
Aachen Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:58pm 
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
This... Level 0 appears like a new account, used for trolling or scamming, etc ....

So, “to give users a false sense of security?” :homelol:

And, anyway wasn’t the suggestion presented as optional, rather than mandatory?
Azza ☠ Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:01pm 
Originally posted by Aachen:
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
This... Level 0 appears like a new account, used for trolling or scamming, etc ....

So, “to give users a false sense of security?” :homelol:

And, anyway wasn’t the suggestion presented as optional, rather than mandatory?

I don't personally care either way.

The point of this topic was to point out it's currently doing both (some hide the steam level, other places it shows as level 0, yet still leaking the real steam level elsewhere anyways) and just adds confusion to those others viewing it.
Last edited by Azza ☠; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:02pm
LowJack_VA1 Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:01pm 
Originally posted by Xautos:
Don't know why the levels themselves are included in the privacy information considering steam levels are an integral part of the way this system was designed by Valve. Makes no sense to hide the level itself as it doesn't mean anything.

It will also help to alleviate some users who see a suspect thread and see the OP's private profile and then jump to the wrong conclusion that they are level 0 troll account. Then comes the oh so easily abused ignore feature.
If the Steam level doesn't mean anything, then showing private profiles as 0 should not matter either.

Private profiles levels are none of your business.
Last edited by LowJack_VA1; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:03pm
Drab Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:04pm 
It should say "Private" instead of 0.

This would reinforce the fact that it's 'none of your business'.
LowJack_VA1 Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:06pm 
Originally posted by Drab:
It should say "Private" instead of 0.

This would reinforce the fact that it's 'none of your business'.
^^^

I agree with this completely!!

If the 0 was replaced with "Private" it would send a clearer message.
Last edited by LowJack_VA1; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:09pm
Aachen Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:06pm 
Originally posted by AAARRRGGHH!!!:

yes it would, very much it would. How can it not?

Presuming you were serious about there being a separate option to disclose level or not, (incidentally Valve tends to default settings to “private” in such circumstances) there would still be many accounts displaying level zero.

Beyond that, proofing against stupidity is a hopeless task. It’ll shift to “your account level is below [threshold], therefore [misapprehension],” or some other heuristic. Basically a horse-and-cart sort of situation.

Originally posted by Drab:
It should say "Private" instead of 0.

This would reinforce the fact that it's 'none of your business'.

That would be clearer, certainly (of course my dim view is that anyone wanting to cast aspersions then merely shifts to “wUt R u HiDiNg PrIVaTe”)!
Last edited by Aachen; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:08pm
Xautos Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:07pm 
Originally posted by LowJack_VA1:
Originally posted by Xautos:
Don't know why the levels themselves are included in the privacy information considering steam levels are an integral part of the way this system was designed by Valve. Makes no sense to hide the level itself as it doesn't mean anything.

It will also help to alleviate some users who see a suspect thread and see the OP's private profile and then jump to the wrong conclusion that they are level 0 troll account. Then comes the oh so easily abused ignore feature.
If the Steam level doesn't mean anything, then showing private profiles as 0 should not matter either.

Private profiles levels are none of your business.

That's not what i was getting at. I'm saying that the steam levels themselves do not contribute anything to or against a private profile so it doesn't mean anything if it is or isn't included.

And i didn't state anything about how you run your profile. You tell me where i stated that?
Azza ☠ Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:15pm 
Originally posted by LowJack_VA1:
Originally posted by Drab:
It should say "Private" instead of 0.

This would reinforce the fact that it's 'none of your business'.
^^^

I agree with this completely!!

If the 0 was replaced with "Private" it would send a clearer message.

That's easier said than programmed in code. As the value expected would be an integer (numbers only). As a string (letters, symbols and numbers allowed), it would actually break the code, unless it was "Private: 0" rather than "Steam Level: 0". The reason against doing that is the string value should remain fixed and the integer value can only change, for security reasons, so nothing else can be injected into it other than numbers. No one can get far hacking anything with just a number, even if they figured out how to inject it.

However, I've seen fully private Steam Private hide the "Steam Level" all together, which is the better option than displaying a "Steam Level: 0". All that would need is a boolean value (true or false) toggle to display it or not.

The next issue is on the friends list displayed on other public Steam profiles. Next to the username is a Steam level badge with a level colour and the level number written in it.
Last edited by Azza ☠; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:20pm
LowJack_VA1 Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:19pm 
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
Originally posted by LowJack_VA1:
^^^

I agree with this completely!!

If the 0 was replaced with "Private" it would send a clearer message.

That's easier said than programmed in code. As the value excepted would be an integer (numbers only). As a string (letters, symbols and numbers allowed), it would actually break the code, unless it was "Private: 0" rather than "Steam Level: 0".

However, I've seen fully private Steam Private hide the "Steam Level" all together, which is the better option than displaying a "Steam Level: 0".

The next issue is on the friends list displayed on other public Steam profiles. Next to the username is a Steam level badge with a level colour and the level number written in it.
ROFL, changing the code to show "Private" instead of 0, will break the code, ROFL!
Azza ☠ Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:21pm 
Originally posted by LowJack_VA1:
Originally posted by Azza ☠:

That's easier said than programmed in code. As the value excepted would be an integer (numbers only). As a string (letters, symbols and numbers allowed), it would actually break the code, unless it was "Private: 0" rather than "Steam Level: 0".

However, I've seen fully private Steam Private hide the "Steam Level" all together, which is the better option than displaying a "Steam Level: 0".

The next issue is on the friends list displayed on other public Steam profiles. Next to the username is a Steam level badge with a level colour and the level number written in it.
ROFL, changing the code to show "Private" instead of 0, will break the code, ROFL!

Edited the post above to explain it more clearly and the reason.

However if you don't understand programming and what is an integer, string, boolean, etc, it might seem confusing but still nothing to worry over. It just won't compile the code during validation stage.
Last edited by Azza ☠; Sep 15, 2021 @ 7:23pm
< 1 2 >
Showing 1-15 of 20 comments
Per page: 1530 50

Date Posted: Sep 15, 2021 @ 6:38pm
Posts: 17