Chat History

[blah604]

Not sure if anyone asked about his before. Wondering why Steam/Valve doesn't implement a chat history log(like how msn has and deletes when the box is full) between users talking.

[Matt]

Been requested many times. For now, there is copy/paste.

[blah604]

okay thanks for the fast reply, but should really been in the game :D

[Kailieann]

Mike said they might implement it, but not for a long time.

[KingDeaN]

Hi can we get the option to save chat history and display the last few messages or whatever in the window when we open it up again.

Similar to how XChat and Live Messenger etc work

Too often I close the window and someone replies and I have no idea what they are even replying to :(

[lilfoosballman]

Then be more careful and don't close out your conversation...

[Skaery]

Chat history, yes please.

@lilfoosballman - you can't have every single chat window open forever, you know.

[lilfoosballman]

Well if you can't have so many open don't talk to that many people.

[Skaery]

Well if you can't have so many open don't talk to that many people.
So you never
1. close a conversation
2. close Steam
3. close your computer
4. crash (Steam or your computer)

Impressive!

[lilfoosballman]

No I don't maybe if your computer crashes buy a new computer. I don't ever close steam. And how do you close your computer??? I dont close out a conversation unless I say goodbye. My computers always on too. So you don't need a chat history

[armitage2k]

i hate steam chat, not even fundamental things like strg-a work in the chat window, bah

if you want to copy a chat you will have to "scroll-copy", "scroll-copy" several times to fetch the whole text

[yChady]

would be cool, like in that one tf2 clan called korlash

[Skaery]

Chat History would be VERY welcome.

What's the reasons for not having it?

[qbatf2]

Bumping it a bit since everyone I know wants it done like 2 years ago... It does not have to be fancy or anything, even dumping of chat to a txt file in
Steam\steamapps\{id}\history\{friend_id*}\{year}{m onth}{day}.txt
would be more than enough.

* - that fixed numeric value or steam_ID

[zuhane]

No I don't maybe if your computer crashes buy a new computer. I don't ever close steam. And how do you close your computer??? I dont close out a conversation unless I say goodbye. My computers always on too. So you don't need a chat history

You're a silly, silly man. You don't represent the whole population. In fact, nobody with a brain doesn't leave their PC on 24/7. Anyone who leaves their computer on 24/7 is:

a.) Incredibly selfish and uncaring about global warming.
b.) Rolling in cash. The electricity bills must be extortionate.
c.) A freak.

No matter how good a computer is, it will crash at some point. Are you like 5 or something?

[Skaery]

You're a silly, silly man. You don't represent the whole population. In fact, nobody with a brain doesn't leave their PC on 24/7. Anyone who leaves their computer on 24/7 is:

a.) Incredibly selfish and uncaring about global warming.
b.) Rolling in cash. The electricity bills must be extortionate.
c.) A freak.

No matter how good a computer is, it will crash at some point. Are you like 5 or something?
I'm on nature energy and have a quite energy-saving computer, so I'm not a).

I'm a student, and live on my State education grant, so I'm not b).

Hmmm... I guess I don't have a brain and is a freak then.


This is a old topic, but I still would really love to have a chat log.

[clamum]

Bumping it a bit since everyone I know wants it done like 2 years ago... It does not have to be fancy or anything, even dumping of chat to a txt file in
Steam\steamapps\{id}\history\{friend_id*}\{year}{m onth}{day}.txt
would be more than enough.

* - that fixed numeric value or steam_ID
I'm not sure why Valve overlooked this so much. I'm a software dev and from what I've worked on, it is not difficult in any way to log chat history. As far as file format, XML would probably be the easiest and most flexible but really you could export to many different formats. I should see if there's a way to write a third party app that actually saves chats.

[Skaery]

I should see if there's a way to write a third party app that actually saves chats.
Someone did that not long ago. Don't know where the thread is though.

[Dario D.]

+1 for this thread.

[Universe_JDJ]

Someone did that not long ago. Don't know where the thread is though.

I searched for that app a long time ago, the only mention of it here was to a website. (Which was no longer up.)

[mystrdat]

Necessary feature to consider. +1

[Ululuru]

This needs to be added.

[infernohellion]

I certainly think it would be great to have it as well. The problem with Steam is that people keep changing their display names all the time and sometimes it is extremely hard to remember who's who. I have that problems so many times. It seriously isn't that hard to implement.

Hopefully this will come once Steam is on Mac.

[kaneissik]

ive always wanted a chat history to be implemented into steam, why wont they do it?

[vazzaroth]

I'm putting my +1 in that I really, really want Chat history. Steam has become my Primary IM solution now, and as such full featured... features... are becoming more important to me and, I'm sure, many others in similar situations. Valve needs to notice that since they are begging to get a large presence in the Gamer/Internet user demographic, many users chat on steam almost exclusively. I think it would be in they're best interest to boost the functionality and advertising of Steam as a chat platform as well.

On the other hand, I think we don't have historys due to the strange way Steam handles chats that go from Out of game to In-game. They copy the chat into the new window in the overlay. probably makes it hard to track history since there can be two places to enter it... although saving on an exit should work.

[Luxgil]

Hello Steam,

I think it would be a nice Idee to have a chat history in steam, so that everyone can read all the text who was writen between friends.

Thx luxgil

[Slyke]

This has been suggested before. They will put it in in the future. But not yet.

[Cavetree]

It would be nice. Most of my friends are on Steam more than AIM/MSN/Yahoo etc etc.

[Aro2220]

No I don't maybe if your computer crashes buy a new computer. I don't ever close steam. And how do you close your computer??? I dont close out a conversation unless I say goodbye. My computers always on too. So you don't need a chat history

There absolutely should be a history. There are plenty of good reasons. The problem is that you sir are an idiot.

Please stop talking. Nobody thinks you are intelligent and nobody is taking your 'solution' seriously.

I just had the problem where I sent some message to someone last night and today they came online while I was afk and gave me a yes/no reply, but I just don't remember what I asked. A history would be a nice solution and every other IM client has it. Couldn't they just create text files in some document folder like MSN does and paste chat to it with a timestamp? Even ICQ could do that in the 90s.

[KnuxTheFox]

My computer's fine. I normally leave it on 24/7, but restart it every so often. I live alone and the only things that run 24/7 are my central air, ceiling fans (until it cools off), and my computer. My lights and tv, game systems, whatever else get turned off when I'm not using them. I just don't see what harm it does to keep an energy-efficient computer running. I know people who always leave the kitchen light on for visibility, it doesn't use much power, but neither does a computer. At least, a computer that isn't an insanely overclocked beast with 50 fans, liquid intercooler, with a 1000 watt power supply...or higher.

Steam does crash, and I've also lost connection to Steam for no apparent reason, and there's just no way of keeping an IM conversation without copying the whole thing into a text file constantly. I can't remember what time I went to bed last night, which is why I first started looking, but then I noticed the chat doesn't even have time stamps, so even if I didn't lose connection to Steam, then I still wouldn't have known what time it was that I went to bed.

[Falkentyne]

Going to give my +1 here.
Chat message history has been in messengers, since...I don't know...1994? When the only thing available was ICQ...it's pretty incredible that something this basic is missing from Steam.

Also, another feature that should be implemented is direct connection. I'm not talking about stuff like sending and receiving files on steam, but being able to at least directly connect to a buddy would allow you to maintain the chat even if steam friends goes down (as long as the chat window remains open). Would be nice to have...

[Smittyjaja]

Nice feature, I like what Xfire does and saves it all in Notepads and you can access the chat log from your chat

[BaSeBallDuDeR]

It would be nice to have the ability to save chats that I have on chat. To be able to save specific conversations at the moment but not all if you don't want.







(add 1 rep if you thought is was a good idea)

[Snaggle]

Yes it's something that would be nice.







(add 1 rep if you thought is was a good reply)

[BaSeBallDuDeR]

Yes it's something that would be nice.







(add 1 rep if you thought is was a good reply)

Added 1 rep for the good reply, i thought it would of been a nice idea.

[Shifty Pete]

Such a thing would be considered keylogging and Antivirus would go mad.

Here's an alternative:

Ctrl + A
Ctrl + C

Open notepad

Ctrl + V

Save

Done!

[Rkade]

I wouldn't mind it..

Add 1 rep if you realise this isn't youtube.

[BaSeBallDuDeR]

Such a thing would be considered keylogging and Antivirus would go mad.

Here's an alternative:

Ctrl + A
Ctrl + C

Open notepad

Ctrl + V

Save

Done!
Well it does it with, gmail, you can log away your chats in a folder on your gmail account and have a section for it on there too. Ive never heard of a antivirus going mad about logging chats?

[swarfega]

yes Id like to see logging for chats as well.

[mkey]

Ive never heard of a antivirus going mad about logging chats?

It most probably wouldn't.

[BaSeBallDuDeR]

It most probably wouldn't.
Has anyone had this problem before?

[real4xor]

Such a thing would be considered keylogging and Antivirus would go mad.


Nooo, such a thing is text logging.

Most chat history thingy`s only log the messages, not every keystroke. :/ Don`t be so paranoid man. chillax.

^^ It would be nice for parents that really love snooping about every internet activity the kids do...

Or those forgetful lads that have digital memory nowadays. (why use your brain, when your computer has TERABYTES of memory?)

[Berq]

Harrumph! Harrumph!
I've thought this feature was conspicuously missing as well.

[Buli]

Hi everyone,

I would suggest that Steam chat should have archive's of conversations it would be very usefull. I bet most of people had a conversation and someone sended them a link or another important notice and suddenly we have closed a chat windows and we've lost it. It wouldn't take space for Steam servers because it could be saved on our discs.

btw. I'am sorry if there was already a thread like this.

[samstancill]

I literally just did this now. This would be incredibly useful. Supported.

[MasterPlaster]

Really would love this, happens to me all the time

[Seth.Sekhmet]

totally want this !

/signed +1

[WarLokk1980]

agreed, this would be useful

[max2]

This is already possible and I have had this feature for close to a year now.

[Mr Obvious]

@Max2 How?
I want this feature too, requested soooo many times and still not implemented :S

[Hardcore Bob]

Bump. Come on, even I could program this, just simple text files which are saved upon closing a window.

[Zagnut]

Please, let's get this implemented, Valve. :(

[hetnkik]

I would love this implemented. Too many times it would have been real nice to be able to check something from a convo a few days old.

[AceFlyer]

Same here. Would also help Valve catch scammers too.
/Signed

[AxoZombie]

bump

/signed

[Blobman001]

signed

[webtax]

please add this! fundamental in IM

signed

[Justin7]

Been asked so many times, really hope they would have added this with the new UI update but they didn't. I just do it manually now every time, which is pretty annoying.

[Peterson]

you got my vote for chat logging. damned myself millions of times for closing the window with important info

[Scorch238]

There's a a reason this old friggin' thread keeps gettin' bumped, Valve.

Me wants automatic chat logging please.

[MsSnappy]

This idea has also been mentioned in the following thread:

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1713270

[The_Real_Banana]

bump because I would really like this feature already. Sometimes I need to find something someone sent me like a link or maybe info about whatever and I have already closed their chat box. This is something that should have been added years ago, its a no-brainer. Please please work on this soon.

Such a thing would be considered keylogging and Antivirus would go mad.

Here's an alternative:

Ctrl + A
Ctrl + C

Open notepad

Ctrl + V

Save

Done!

lie, or you just have no idea what your talking about. Keyloggers log every single keystroke you make covertly in an attempt to get passwords and things out of you. A chat log on the other hand just logs what you CHOOSE to send to another person and what they CHOOSE to send to you. The whole problem with keyloggers is that they do so without the users knowledge or consent while a normal chat logging feature only logs what the users lets it log, and the feature would probably be easy to disable like chat timestamps.

And more proof of this just because I know there are actually people out there who would believe this kind of dribble: Take an IRC client like xchat or mirc for example, they log everything that is said or done on an IRC channel to disk and there are absolutely no problems with antivirus. This is just pure FUD, and not even that creative.

And for your second point, the whole purpose of the log is so we can retrieve information from a chat we had a while ago where we have already closed out the window. Nobody should be expected to copy, paste, and save every single chat they have just in case in the future they need to get info out of it. Its an absurd notion no matter how you look at it and its the very reason most IM/chat clients DO log conversations to disk.

This is needed badly. I don't know how Steam has gotten this far without at least one person working at Valve/steam going "Hey ya know a chat log would be a really handy feature".



For those who don't want to wait for Valve/Steam to add it within the next few decades, here is a program you can use to do it now:
http://lions.dongues.net/board/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1032

I found it while googling around and I can't believe someone took the time to write something like this. It works PERFECTLY. I now have all my logs of convos. Sad that a random person has to go out of his way to add in this most basic of features because Valve/Steam don't listen to their community very well.

[deadskinex]

Bumping this for great justice.

[aaa12585]

^^^ This man speaks many truths! But only one is right.

... That one would be this.

[kakkerlak]

I see the chat logging program was linked already , here is a steam forum post about it.
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1015867
you just need to close it before you can exit steam thats the only hassle.

I been using it 6 months now.

[zwolf]

Then be more careful and don't close out your conversation...



Well if you can't have so many open don't talk to that many people.

I never did get people like this... a feature request is made, it's a popular Idea, and there is always this 'one guy' (in this case Lilfoosballman,) that's like the 'nay sayer' of the bunch... as if he absolutely HATES the idea of a chat log and can't believe that some one would want convenience.

- the Obtuse nature of some people never ceases to amaze me.

Of course, I have just gone and "fed the troll" so there will be that to deal with I suppose...

[damaged]

I never did get people like this... a feature request is made, it's a popular Idea, and there is always this 'one guy' (in this case Lilfoosballman,) that's like the 'nay sayer' of the bunch... as if he absolutely HATES the idea of a chat log and can't believe that some one would want convenience.

- the Obtuse nature of some people never ceases to amaze me.

Of course, I have just gone and "fed the troll" so there will be that to deal with I suppose...

The guy hasn't logged in since 08-14-2009, I doubt he'll ever see your reply. ;)

[Kanzu5665]

I would also like this feature!

[jason_pyro]

I like the idea as well, I have been wondering the same myself and would agree to the changes of adding an archives.

[getdown]

Implement chat history and make the text-box load a spellcheck. Join the 21st century already.

[dscTobi]

I hope they will add this feature soon. CTRL+C\CTRL+V is a little bit annoying.

[Sixie]

Steam sometimes overlook alot of simple features... and since ALOT are requesting this feature and it wouldnt be that hard to implement the feature by means of Steam Update... they should just do it. but they won and will not! (not in the near future anyway.

They dont want a chat history on their software.

[OatmealSpiller]

I was amazed when I realized there wasn't some logs folder buried in my steam install. Not hard to do. Signed, +1'd, this needs to happen.

[Kerian]

Posting to bump this.

Steam crashed over night, and I came back to it taking up 50 CPU and my chat box blinking. I missed some conversation/messages from people, and I have no idea what they sent, nor do I know who to go look to about it.

I'm asking for full chat logging, straight to a .txt, nothing fancy just something I can use to check back on things said, or read things after windows auto-updates.

[Shiko]

This thread is 2 years old now and they still didn't implement chatlogs. It's sad.

[GTU]

Pleeeease o_O

[max2]

This thread is 2 years old now and they still didn't implement chatlogs. It's sad.

I want it too but I still found it more rewarding than sad.

Get to have my chat logs while everyone else keeps waiting.

[473NG3R]

No I don't maybe if your computer crashes buy a new computer. I don't ever close steam. And how do you close your computer??? I dont close out a conversation unless I say goodbye. My computers always on too. So you don't need a chat history

Windows updates, bro; plus Steam updates, crashes, power failures, OS upgrades, moving, you get the point. You have to restart sometime. Assuming everyone can have their computer running forever is a little naive.

And of course you don't need chat history. You don't need Steam, but chat history would be a nice addition.

[473NG3R]

You're a silly, silly man. You don't represent the whole population. In fact, nobody with a brain doesn't leave their PC on 24/7. Anyone who leaves their computer on 24/7 is:

a.) Incredibly selfish and uncaring about global warming.
b.) Rolling in cash. The electricity bills must be extortionate.
c.) A freak.

No matter how good a computer is, it will crash at some point. Are you like 5 or something?

While I agree that you can't run 24/7 without rebooting every now and then, the rest I disagree with. I leave my computer running pretty much constantly and my power bill isn't very high. It's a server so I have a good reason, it also doesn't experience thermal cycling since I leave it running, it's better for your CPU, and other solid state components.

[HAL_9OOO]

I would really like this feature to be added in as well, just have a logfile in our steam folder somewhere full of chats we have had for nostalgia purposes.

[AH2V2]

Pliss

[alex95sv]

bumping it.... and yes, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE

[Gnasty]

I VOTE YES TO CHAT LOGS!

[FrozenFlame]

atleast chat logs of recent conversations and an option to backup old chatogs would be great.

[Hardcore Bob]

can't anyone write a 3rd party program to do this?
Shouldn't be too hard right?

Heck I'd pay a buck for it and recommend it to all my friends.

[Drummer611]

https://bitbucket.org/VoiDeD/open-steamworks/downloads

There ya go.

[99Reaper99]

Been requested many times. For now, there is copy/paste.

That's just copy/paste. There's no history aspect of it.

Sometimes stuff happens or you need to remember something, so a history would be nice. Since it is in essence logging, I don't see how this could be hard to implement.

[Duneflower]

This.
Make it toggleable. Then everyone who doesn't want logs can turn it off and everyone who does can turn it on. I like the logging idea incase I can't remember a link my friend sent me and he isn't online.

[vahnx]

You're a silly, silly man. You don't represent the whole population. In fact, nobody with a brain doesn't leave their PC on 24/7. Anyone who leaves their computer on 24/7 is:

a.) Incredibly selfish and uncaring about global warming.
b.) Rolling in cash. The electricity bills must be extortionate.
c.) A freak.

No matter how good a computer is, it will crash at some point. Are you like 5 or something?

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/5894/lolwuts.png

My only reboots are due to switching Operating Systems and power outages (auto reboot). Almost a year so a total of 305/365 days it was "on".

As for the topic, Steam programmers need to get off their butts and implement this, unless they wanna be stuck in the last decade.

[naiLed :)]

/signed

chat history please

[Maury]

don't like this feature.

[Max Conrad]

PLEASE oh PLEEAAASEEEE.. can you implement chat logs.
I seriously don't understand why it's not there already.

Also, even though I have a lot of love for Steam, don't you think it's ♥♥♥♥ed up how the Steam app for phones has chat history synced in the cloud, yet the main desktop application doesn't?

[Internal_energy]

Thanks for sharing your idea
It would be good to remake the discussions :D

[freddieouh]

actually steam have chat history, just we cant see it. but yes i support this idea

[PowerfulSilence]

chat history it could be good, because we can see chat 1 year ago for example

[Haksam]

would be a good idea to have the option when closing the chat window, steam would ask "would you like to save chat history to .txt?"

or something like that

[Xstioph]

+1 Feature would be appreciated.

[HooN#]

I'll add my voice to the rowdy crowd. Chat logging would be immensely useful for (or at least often used by) me. Even if it is all client side and kept out of the Steam cloud. I mean, if IRC clients have been doing it for as long as I've been online (1993-4 or so).. why is simple text chat logging so hard for Valve? Argh! Twice today I was pissed off by the lack of this simple and very basic feature.

[Exploder]

We need this. It's hard to keep track of conversations if you have 20+ people on your friends list, people also regularly change their username, so it would be nice to check the chat history just to confirm.

It's definitely something that would take max 1 day of programming to work out, so it's really disappointing by Valve to not have implemented this already.

[tmyrdal]

bump

/signed

I realy like to have chat history also.

[jsmucha]

Steam does crash, and I've also lost connection to Steam for no apparent reason, and there's just no way of keeping an IM conversation without copying the whole thing into a text file constantly. I can't remember what time I went to bed last night, which is why I first started looking, but then I noticed the chat doesn't even have time stamps, so even if I didn't lose connection to Steam, then I still wouldn't have known what time it was that I went to bed.

-You can turn time stamps on.

[zooweee]

+1 here too

[TDZGamer]

+1, wanna see the links I pasted yesterday when I was drunk :)

[cody000001]

Over three years since this thread was made, and still no history. Bumping this one because it's no less needed now than it was three years ago.

[tiko_history]

Been requested many times. For now, there is copy/paste.

I'm absolutly agree wiyh you .

[Accophox]

There's offline logging on the mobile applications. There should be offline logging on the desktop client for feature parity.

[FastEddieLB]

I use XFire for its chat logging feature. XFire is a buggy, slow-to-update piece of garbage ever since the original dev team was fired a few years back when the ownership of the company changed hands. I would like to completely do away with XFire and have one less program to run, and giving Steam a chat logging feature would allow me to do this.

[pizzahut]

This feature would really be useful. Just yesterday I'm like "D'oh! I should have saved the chat."

[Edi1314]

You're a silly, silly man. You don't represent the whole population. In fact, nobody with a brain doesn't leave their PC on 24/7. Anyone who leaves their computer on 24/7 is:

a.) Incredibly selfish and uncaring about global warming.
b.) Rolling in cash. The electricity bills must be extortionate.
c.) A freak.

No matter how good a computer is, it will crash at some point. Are you like 5 or something?

Pc's don't take up THAT much electricity ... at all..

[wittyname6]

Bump and +1 if I can figure out how.

[Hybrinoid]

Pc's don't take up THAT much electricity ... at all..

What are you talking about? Here you are, typing that your PC doesn't take much electricity at all, when you're just sitting there sucking down power on a giant plastic product.

[Cdg01]

Been requested many times. For now, there is copy/paste.

You could always take multiple screenshots of the chat-box, ha.

[Edy94]

I support this 100%!

[Earl_CG]

Just found myself in yet another situation where this would have been useful (Asked a question by one person, to which the answer would have been in a conversation I had a few weeks before with another friend). Surely with the Steam cloud already in place this couldn't be too difficult to implement.

[Layarion]

No I don't maybe if your computer crashes buy a new computer. I don't ever close steam. And how do you close your computer??? I dont close out a conversation unless I say goodbye. My computers always on too. So you don't need a chat history

sounds like trolling to me

[Layarion]

bump +10

[Serret]

I too would very much love a chat log, its incredibly annoying to close a chat window by mistake or have the system crash only to have to ask the same person to type everything all over again.

A chat history that would show the last conversations we have with that person when opening a chat window would be great.

[HackerFinn]

I support this idea. :)

[JamesHuntPL]

I need it so much! Bump!

[noob3]

This would be a nice option, xfire has it so this can do as well (yes i'm aware xfire is old and outdated).

[GaryYam]

chat history, lol .

[grokly]

I wish Steam Friends had chat logs about once a week.. Gdmit.

[Honsten]

I find this a great suggestion for traders as I've found many troubles when it comes to contacting my traders. We usually forget what we had wanted or asked for in our previous conversation and we basically had to repeat the process all over again because apparently the other user had a memory problem. This is also great for chatting with friends and wondering what they had said before "accidentally" closing their chatbox. This has happen to me numerous times and I can't be bothered repeating myself and just leaving them clueless.

[csdx]

So I'm seeing some kind of chat history thing on the website (but not the steam client) it has a beta on the page that opens. Could Steam actually have listened to people?

[NaOHSpree]

So I'm seeing some kind of chat history thing on the website (but not the steam client) it has a beta on the page that opens. Could Steam actually have listened to people?

So I'm taking you didn't notice the big large BETA button on the top of the page.

[V-Man]

Is there some way to turn this feature off, lest it become an outright requirement?
I would like this to be an option, not something I absolutely must take part in.