Possibility to remove your name history?

[dom]

I originally posted this on reddit so it's a x-post from there, but hear me out:

Around 3 years ago I created my Steam Account, and since I basically had no idea of what Steam was, I put in a name which had a gender in it and that was my username in some other games. This was a huge mistake since people started harassing me over it, so I changed it to a more neutral one and I've kept the neutral one since that. I also had a lot of bad experiences and memories relating to that name from before I registered to Steam, so I guess it was just a question before I changed it to something else.

However, I didn't know the names got stuck in a name history thing and noticed it later after I had changed it. To this day, some people still say things about me because of the name (it wasn't really that bad, it just happened to contain my gender) and I usually block them by then, but it would still be nice if they couldn't see the name. In the other sites I changed the name or made an new account with a different name and thankfully there are no logs of the name on the other accounts anymore. At least it's not easy to find logs about it.

Anyway, long story short I wish to not be associated with the name anymore on any level for many reasons, those are the main reasons. I know it's possible to spam 10 "blank" names (aka uni codes that have nothing in them yet) and then put your name in it, but it will look stupid when the "blank" names becomes something else (like this[i.imgur.com], this[i.imgur.com] or this[i.imgur.com], or then the name jumps to somewhere in the middle like this[i.imgur.com], this[i.imgur.com] or this[i.imgur.com]) and it will still visible that you changed your name in /id/(your username)/namehistory.

But yeah, I'd rather not spam 10 random uni codes that will one day become visible (or is visible only on Win10 and not Win7 or some other OS) and then look rather confusing.

So my suggestion is, could Steam add a "Delete name history" button if your name has been same over X amount of years, for example 2 years. This button would be optional, so people who doesn't want to be associated with their old name(s) can press it when those who want to keep their name history doesn't press the button. Or then when you press the button it would send you to a report/refund-like page, where you type in your request and reasoning for deleting the name history. It would be good for people who does not want to be associated with a certain name anymore for some reason and don't spam random names (because that's kind of obvious that they have changed their name).

And yes: I know pages like vacbanned[i.imgur.com] will still show my old aliases, but people wouldn't just open my steam and see it right away. And I know that it is called name history for a reason, it's your history of names and some people maybe don't want to change that, it's fine; I just don't want to be associated with that one name anymore and I'd rather not have people seeing it.

And for the bots/scammers; that's where the time limit comes in, so when they try to scam you they can change their name but they can't remove the name from their history (unless spamming 10 random names) because of the time limit and/or lack of proper reasoning.

Proof I haven't changed my name since 2013-ish[i.imgur.com]

I don't know I just want to get rid of that one name and I have no intention of chaining it again.

TL;DR: Valve please add a "Delete Name History" button which either deletes the history if you have over X years since you changed your name or make the button redirect to a page where you request for your name history to be deleted if you have a proper reasoning and over X amount of years since you last changed your name.

[Start_Running]

That's not something that's going to change sadly. There's a reason it exists and until that reason stops being a thing. It will continue to exist.

[This American]

Yes I totally agree on this even though I just don't want it just to not have my old names seen in general I see were you are going and I again totally agree on it I just don't like seeing my past names in general.

[venTox312312313123]

just rename a few times and it'll disappear

[Start_Running]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από 'venToX 冠.:

just rename a few times and it'll disappear

Not really. It only shows the last 10 but the full list is still stored and can be pulled on thirdparty sites

[Gus the Crocodile]

Yeah I think Valve should decide what this feature is for.

If it's an accountability tool, then you clearly shouldn't let people overwrite it in thirty seconds by changing their name a bunch of times, and I'd suggest the amount of names it tracks should be based on a period of time, not a flat number.

Alternately, if they're happy to let people overwrite the names, then it's pretty pointless as an accountability tool so they may as well simplify the process with a "clear name history" button.

[Start_Running]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Gus the Crocodile:

Yeah I think Valve should decide what this feature is for.

If it's an accountability tool, then you clearly shouldn't let people overwrite it in thirty seconds by changing their name a bunch of times, and I'd suggest the amount of names it tracks should be based on a period of time, not a flat number.

Alternately, if they're happy to let people overwrite the names, then it's pretty pointless as an accountability tool so they may as well simplify the process with a "clear name history" button.

As said Gus, They're not really overwritten. more like the client can only display a set number at a time but as mentioned, the names are still stored and i do recall a few 3rd party sites are able to pull up the whole list.

[Gus the Crocodile]

Are you sure they're pulling down a full list from Steam, as opposed to just building their own list by tracking the profile over time? When people have brought up third-party sites on this topic in the past, I thought the idea was more the latter. The issue people were raising was that regardless of what Steam does with this list, there's little that can be done to stop third-party sites building their own name histories.

[wuddih]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Start_Running:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από 'venToX 冠.:

just rename a few times and it'll disappear

Not really. It only shows the last 10 but the full list is still stored and can be pulled on thirdparty sites

nope. 10 is the limit, and that is not even pulled over steam api. the name history is always pulled from public accessible data, your name history.

OP:
http://steamcommunity.com/id/jannigo/namehistory

don't know why you even censored that. that is widley known since years, everyone can see your namehistory of your last 10 namechanges, that is no secret.

if some websites provide more then that, then they did one simple thing, they logged and saved it themselves, alot of 3rd party websites do those kinds of datamining.

so simple thing. spamchange your name to some nonsense and hope no one saved it before.

[Start_Running]

I stand corrected

[Blake]

What about trolls

[dom]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από wuddih:

don't know why you even censored that. that is widley known since years, everyone can see your namehistory of your last 10 namechanges, that is no secret.

so simple thing. spamchange your name to some nonsense and hope no one saved it before.

I censored it because I x-posted from reddit, I had written a message there and then posted it there, unfortunately their rules forbid you to post usernames thus I had to censor.

But there's the thing: if you looked at the 6th image, it will look super awful if you try to spam random 10 empty names there. Your name will jump to somewhere in the middle of the text and it will be obvious you change your name, it will look stupid and if the uni code gets an icon it will look dumb when you have 9 names in your namehistory that has some strange icon in it and one that is your name.

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από xX_PUG_Xx:

What about trolls

That's where the delay comes in. Trolls, scammers usually change their name, yes? If they have changed their name recently, let's say they try to scam you and then change it, they can't request for their name history deletion because they haven't had the same name for a certain period of time. Add to the list that, for instance if the delay is 2 years and if you've had your name same for 2 years you can request it, you have to give a proper reason why you want the name deleted, like when you ask for a refund why you want a refund. In this way trolls and scammers etc have it way harder to change the name.

[Midnight Sky ✨🌙✨]

Since Valve's not going to be changing it, you really only have two options: put up with your name history having dumb stuff in it, or put up with a name you don't want being in your history.

You may as well just change your name a lot. That undesirable name goes away sooner and it's not like you wouldn't be able to clear your hisstory in the off chance Valve actually does add this.

[Ale]

Why does it have to be unicode or dumb stuff? Just think of 9 okay names (variations on your current name) and spam name change. What's the fuss.

[dom]

Upping because relevant information.

A few days ago some servers were down and I were able to get this screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/OHt0xci.png

Now obviously everyone had that kind of thing because it was some servers that were down, but by the looks of it, it would be possible to remove all name history. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it would be possible in any way to do it so that only certain people can remove it, let's say if the name is older than X years.

There was also one thread on Reddit a week ago about VAC-bans being hidden if they are over 7 years old - the user is still banned, but it's not visible on their profile anymore. Is it possible to make it the same for old aliases? The guy who are banned sees his ban himself; but others don't. Maybe only the user sees their old aliases when others don't? (Only if the alias is older than x years and the user decides to do so, maybe?)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/5ub0jo/vac_bans_older_than_2600_days_stopped_showing_up/

[Black Blade]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Janni:

Upping because relevant information.

A few days ago some servers were down and I were able to get this screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/OHt0xci.png

Now obviously everyone had that kind of thing because it was some servers that were down, but by the looks of it, it would be possible to remove all name history. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it would be possible in any way to do it so that only certain people can remove it, let's say if the name is older than X years.

There was also one thread on Reddit a week ago about VAC-bans being hidden if they are over 7 years old - the user is still banned, but it's not visible on their profile anymore. Is it possible to make it the same for old aliases? The guy who are banned sees his ban himself; but others don't. Maybe only the user sees their old aliases when others don't? (Only if the alias is older than x years and the user decides to do so, maybe?)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/5ub0jo/vac_bans_older_than_2600_days_stopped_showing_up/

Change the name to the same one back and fowerd
10 times and they will all be removed