Custom URL reusability

[SleepyKitti ❤]

Hi! :)

I have a suggestion about steam profile custom URLs. Currently everyone can freely set such an URL and it's really useful, in my opinion, but several URLs are already taken:

1. All users should regularly(e.g. once in a year) update their custom URL (the URL doesn't need to be changed.. it can simply be updated to the same URL as well.). So this is similar to a "refresh function" to indicate that the URL is still needed. There are lots of unused accounts currently on steam and they chose the best custom URLs. They are often offline for >1000 days. I'm afraid those accounts might have been stolen or banned (possibly they belonged to a scammer). The real question is why they are allowed to hold the nicest custom URL when they don't even use Steam anymore (or for years)?

2. If a custom URL is not retaken by a user, it can freely be reused by someone else.

Thank you, let me know what you think!

[Gwarsbane]

I have a better suggestion, you use the search feature to see why this is not going to happen. This is another one of those beating a dead horse topics.

Short version, first come first served. Can't get one you want, then find another.

Longer version, use the search feature.

[cinedine]

No. And URL should always link to the same content. Especially considering there are plenty of third party sites that will have a link to your profile. Often for naming and shaming reasons.

[Seretti]

Hell, no. This has been brought up before so use search to read all the previous discussions about this.

[nullable]

Ursprungligen skrivet av SleepyCat ❤:

Thank you, let me know what you think! :please:

I think you want something and are looking for a way to get it and are so focused on getting what you want are blind to all the issues your scheme would raise.

Deactivating inactive profiles isn't wholly unreasonable. But what you're proposing is shockingly bad design and I am betting is really just described as such because you imagine it would be the most convenient for you personally to get a particular URL.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

MikeB (left Valve a while back) was working on the ability to take custom URLs from inactive accounts. He left and no one has picked up on that since. nce https://archive.is/jd5mO

[SleepyKitti ❤]

cSg|mc-Hotsauce, thank you for the only useful answer. Basically this is exactly the kind of answer (And info) I was looking for.

For the others: Some of you above forgot the fact that there are people (might be bots) who may only register accounts to hold certain URLs, and those accounts are never logged in again. If you don't believe me, "use the search function", please.

And no, I didn't have any goal to take a specific custom URL. Misunderstanding and misunderstanding...

On my side, this topic is closed.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Ursprungligen skrivet av cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

MikeB (left Valve a while back) was working on the ability to take custom URLs from inactive accounts. He left and no one has picked up on that since. nce https://archive.is/jd5mO

:qr:

There is a reason why too. It happened a year or so ago when a user had been gone for two year (due to medical issues or something) and their URL had been taken by a Valve/Paid Moderator. They ended up removing the URL from them and returning it to the original user.

People put a lot into their URL. Youtubers, for example, need a constant URL for the account they use on their channel(s) and many users may have theirs on other social media. Would suck if someone got their URL and used an offensive profile. People wouldn't know it wasn't the previous owner of the URL and a huge backlash against the only other associated account(s) would follow.

It is likely that those at Valve don't see the ability as beneficial now.

[SleepyKitti ❤]

>> Would suck if someone got their URL and used an offensive profile.
If they refresh it regularly, they will never lose it. I tried to explain this in my original suggestion.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Spawn of Totoro:

Ursprungligen skrivet av cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

MikeB (left Valve a while back) was working on the ability to take custom URLs from inactive accounts. He left and no one has picked up on that since. nce https://archive.is/jd5mO

There is a reason why too. It happened a year or so ago when a user had been gone for two year (due to medical issues or something) and their URL had been taken by a Valve/Paid Moderator. They ended up removing the URL from them and returning it to the original user.

People put a lot into their URL. Youtubers, for example, need a constant URL for the account they use on their channel(s) and many users may have theirs on other social media. Would suck if someone got their URL and used an offensive profile. People wouldn't know it wasn't the previous owner of the URL and a huge backlash against the only other associated account(s) would follow.

It is likely that those at Valve don't see the ability as beneficial now.

I remember that one.

[Callahan420]

I don't see why this would be a bad thing if it was just inactive accounts but regular users like me should not have to refresh yearly. I would not be happy if I lost my url because I missed refresh date.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Ursprungligen skrivet av SleepyCat ❤:

>> Would suck if someone got their URL and used an offensive profile.
If they refresh it regularly, they will never lose it. I tried to explain this in my original suggestion.

Not something that can always be done and honestly, shouldn't be needed.

What if you had to verify you wanted to keep your name every year?

Ursprungligen skrivet av Callahan420:

I don't see why this would be a bad thing if it was just inactive accounts but regular users like me should not have to refresh yearly. I would not be happy if I lost my url because I missed refresh date.

Except if a user is unable to do so, such as what happened in my post.

If it was a user who got it, Valve would have had a far harder time returning the URL.

[cinedine]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Callahan420:

I don't see why this would be a bad thing if it was just inactive accounts but regular users like me should not have to refresh yearly. I would not be happy if I lost my url because I missed refresh date.

What if someone with your new url was a total ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and lots of people named&shamed him on third party sites? Now everybody thinks it is you and you get kicked from servers or are unable to trade or simply harrassed.

Please all report and -rep this idiot who tried to scam me:
http://steamcommunity.com/my/profile

That's what happens if a URI doesn't link to the same ressource.

[Yasahi]

Ursprungligen skrivet av SleepyCat ❤:

>> Would suck if someone got their URL and used an offensive profile.
If they refresh it regularly, they will never lose it. I tried to explain this in my original suggestion.

You really don't realise how bad that is a system? You're subjecting EVERY user who has a custom URL to do a chore, that if missed would result in them losing their URL. Which as has already been mentioned multiple times can cause other issues.

You're deployed and miss the chance, tough luck eh? Or how about being in the hospital just when the timer ticks down? People are unable to be there for any number of reasons. And even if they're there, they now have a stupid chore to do just because someone somewhere can't use their imagination and come up with a new URL.

Now what incentive is there for Valve to create a system that would bring forth a bad user experience and not really any value? This has so many negatives and very, very few positives.