Is it a requirement to blur names in screenshots of games?

[MarylandManson]

Or is naming and shaming when, as an example, a thread names a person specifically?

More specifically what constitutes shaming, is it direct or abstract?

If I post a screen of my score and someone happens to do badly am I shaming them by posting my score if they weren't the focus?

[🜂∴🜏 Cassie]

I think it's fine to leave it as it is, as long as the screenshot has not been modified.

If someone doesn't want their shenanigans to be made known via screenshots or video streams, they shouldn't have done that in a public game server in the first place.

[Zekiran]

If you're posting that information boldly on a profile or in another public format (at least specifically here on Steam's forum) it is against the tos.

However if you want to use it as evidence against someone when sending it to an official to check, I would imagine that's a good use of such a screenshot.

[MarylandManson]

Originally posted by The Holy Empress Sasha:

I think it's fine to leave it as it is, as long as the screenshot has not been modified.

If someone doesn't want their shenanigans to be made known via screenshots or video streams, they shouldn't have done that in a public game server in the first place.

Logical. but it this circumstance i'm looking for an official ruling by someone from Valve because we are having a hard time finding clear rules.

If the rule is simply all names must be blurred from a screenshot its easy to understand but if it requires the individual to determine if X person is shamed when they aren't the focus it seems a little unclear.

If I have a perfect game as example and I want to post that image and Joe X has the worst game in history all I want to know is do I need to blur Joes name and am I required to make that determination.

Particularly when using Steams screenshot system.

Truth should be it's own defense.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

If I have a perfect game as example and I want to post that image and Joe X has the worst game in history all I want to know is do I need to blur Joes name and am I required to make that determination.

You can post screenshots of a game.
There isnt even a function to blur screenshots in steam.

[The End]

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

Is it a requirement to blur names in screenshots of games?

It's not needed to blur anything, if you take the screenshot ingame and use the steamfeature to upload it to your profile, just like you would do with any other game, however, creating or using a steamgroup to post them, like a wall of shame, that is not ok.

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

If I post a screen of my score and someone happens to do badly am I shaming them by posting my score if they weren't the focus?

Nothing wrong with that, it's perfectly ok to do that.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Don't some games let you tag users too?

[MarylandManson]

Originally posted by Rockon:

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

Is it a requirement to blur names in screenshots of games?

It's not needed to blur anything, if you take the screenshot ingame and use the steamfeature to upload it to your profile, just like you would do with any other game, however, creating or using a steamgroup to post them, like a wall of shame, that is not ok.

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

If I post a screen of my score and someone happens to do badly am I shaming them by posting my score if they weren't the focus?

Nothing wrong with that, it's perfectly ok to do that.

I don't think it is quite that clear.

If someone is going on an abusive tirade in chat afterwards my best game ever can become naming and shaming.

I've read a post from a Steam Global Mod that it was meant to protect people from false accusations and not their own bad behavior but the issue comes from whether one can indirectly name and shame or if it requires a direct calling out of that person.

Further, is it meant to prevent people from being called cheaters and scammers or from displaying bad behavior in chat.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Simply:
Do the right thing + use the screenshot feature

[MarylandManson]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

Simply:
Do the right thing + use the screenshot feature

That's as useless and abstract an answer as already stated over and over in countless threads across Steam.

Doing the right thing is subjective quite frankly.

If you go on a racial tirade in my game chat why is it my responsiblity to avoid posting screenshots from my game to protect you?

The same can be said for Streams as well.

The meat of the question is what is this protecting, false accusations, or people who do bad things publically from publically exposing themselves.

It effects a lot of situations.

Also the Steam rule as it is written in less than official places is that posting any account name for any reason is against the rules.

But is a screenshot where the name is posting the account name or does that require a direct effort?

Ergo, i come with the question. Do I need to blur names from Steam screenshots or does that not have any relation to naming an account?

Is incidental appearance of an account name against the rules?

The answer matters because if I don't have to blur names on screenshots then it doesn't count as naming and shaming.

If I do have to blur names on screenshots then any showing of account names can be construed by the account holder as naming and shaming as there is no guideline for what a person can feel shamed by.

Further, nowhere in the rules does it clarify whether a public profile is excluded from this rule.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Post screenshots of games and of you in games.
Whatever happens outside of that intend is not your problem.

[MarylandManson]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

Post screenshots of games and of you in games.
Whatever happens outside of that intend is not your problem.

I sincerely wish it could be said this is true.

Sadly, it is very debatable and rules are being enforced that suggest the contrary.

[Grogwind]

You can take sceenshots of users without blurring there names.

If you then try to use that sceneshot to shame them by posting it to a group, profile or linking there account to the screenshot then that could be considered naming and shaming.

Basically use common sense.

It sounds however like your trying try to find out a hard line that you can push as close to without getting punished or told off. My advice would be don’t.

[MarylandManson]

Originally posted by Grogwind:

You can take sceenshots of users without blurring there names.

If you then try to use that sceneshot to shame them by posting it to a group, profile or linking there account to the screenshot then that could be considered naming and shaming.

Basically use common sense.

It sounds however like your trying try to find out a hard line that you can push as close to without getting punished or told off. My advice would be don’t.

If my score screen displays their bad behavior in chat afterwards regarding that score you are asserting that I can not post that screenshot to our gaming group, correct?

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

Post screenshots of games and of you in games.
Whatever happens outside of that intend is not your problem.

I sincerely wish it could be said this is true.

Sadly, it is very debatable and rules are being enforced that suggest the contrary.

Just dont go after people with your screenshots.
Some games are not made for all ages or have controversal symbols, consider that.

But if a players name is visible in a server list, it doesnt matter. Where does your worry come from?

[Grogwind]

Originally posted by Tucking Friggered:

Originally posted by Grogwind:

You can take sceenshots of users without blurring there names.

If you then try to use that sceneshot to shame them by posting it to a group, profile or linking there account to the screenshot then that could be considered naming and shaming.

Basically use common sense.

It sounds however like your trying try to find out a hard line that you can push as close to without getting punished or told off. My advice would be don’t.

If my score screen displays their bad behavior in chat afterwards regarding that score you are asserting that I can not post that screenshot to our gaming group, correct?

Are you intendeding to shame a user by posting it there? If no then you should be fine.