Users who message one another may not know each other personally & Chat = Public

[Wolfrip_Sixshot]

Since we don't have a thread about this specific issue.

Chat Forums, Etc.

Valve's products or services may provide chat, forums, bulletin boards, or instant messaging tools to users. Any information that is disclosed in chat, forums or bulletin boards should be considered public information, and users who message one another may not know each other personally. Valve has no obligation to keep private personally identifiable information that a user makes available to other users or the public using these functions. Users should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in public forums. Users should also be aware that game play information disclosed during multiplayer game play (e.g. player name and current player statistics) is public information and may be displayed to other users.

So it is now against the rules to talk to my family, my fiance or my friends online?
&
If i talk to anyone my conversations can be made public?

So we can only talk to strangers and all our conversations can be made public. That makes the chat function useless as im sure a great many of us have friends, family or partners on their steam list. Users who message one another may not know each other personally. How are we suppose to agree to that and use chat?

[Edit]

As others have pointed out it seems we are allowed to talk to people we personally know. What Valve means is that our conversations are never personal. The reasoning behind it is "Users who message one another may not know each other personally".
.

[jimrad1]

Well the whole point is, now you dont use Steams chat. They are declaring that any private messages and private chats are no longer private. So now your warned, dont use that part of the service, I certainly wont be.

.

[TimL]

I think may not doesnt mean what you think in this case. Pretty sure it means "users probably dont know eachother".

[jimrad1]

Its a little perplexing, how would Valve know if I actually now a person in real life or not? In one broad sweep they are assuming I dont, and under this new TOS will store this data as non private.

One thing through all this made me wonder. With Facebooks attitude almost identical to this entire issue, and the more Facebook has been forced on Steam users as its highly integrated now with Steam. I hate speculating, but Im wondering here..............is Facebook about to buy Steam? Makes sense, they love their gaming service at Facebook, adding Steam would really place value on their IP.

Just speculating, but I just wonder. This is so unlike Valve, and more like Facebook it does make me wonder. Facebook certainly could buy Steam easily.

[TimL]

Facebook couldnt buy Steam easily because Steam is owned by Valve and Valve is a private company. They have to agree to be bought and that seems unlikely to happen.

Also Facebook is a dying platform anyways, nothing to do there (just look at their stocks).

[zonkz]

Originally Posted by Wolfrip_Sixshot

Any information that is disclosed in chat, forums or bulletin boards should be considered public information, and users who message one another may not know each other personally.

I read:
Even if someone says, "gimme da password m admin doh", you dont know the person who is chatting with you just because you are chatting. If you tell a secret in chat or like that, its no more a secret.
Names can be changed..... Be carefull what you post or send!


Its for the people who would claim, "but steam didnt tell me that i should not believe a stranger in the internet!"

Do you translate, or is english your native language ?

[ElijahChondo43]

Originally Posted by jimrad1

Its a little perplexing, how would Valve know if I actually now a person in real life or not? In one broad sweep they are assuming I dont, and under this new TOS will store this data as non private.

One thing through all this made me wonder. With Facebooks attitude almost identical to this entire issue, and the more Facebook has been forced on Steam users as its highly integrated now with Steam. I hate speculating, but Im wondering here..............is Facebook about to buy Steam? Makes sense, they love their gaming service at Facebook, adding Steam would really place value on their IP.

Just speculating, but I just wonder. This is so unlike Valve, and more like Facebook it does make me wonder. Facebook certainly could buy Steam easily.

No they can't and won't buy Steam. It's not for sale and it is owned by a private company, Facebook cannot legally own nor obtain Steam unless the owner(s) put it for sale and agree.

And why would Valve sell Steam anyway? They make so much money off of us it isn't even funny.

[ititj]

it says may not, not cannot

[zonkz]

Right yesterday someone told me,
"should not" would mean something like "forbidden".

I stopped being surprised

[yousername]

The thing about users not knowing each other personally is a diversion, STEAM/Valve is saying that all communications on STEAM including private chat is to be considered public, it is an alarmingly tellingly ambiguous statement, and STEAM/Valve has given themselves free reign over your chats. It was crafted to be sweepingly ambiguous and nebulous, you can be sure.

The current wording allows STEAM/Valve to do as they please regarding your private chats, regardless of whether or not you know the user you are chatting with(obviously).

[Wolfrip_Sixshot]

Originally Posted by zonkz

I read:
Even if someone says, "gimme da password m admin doh", you dont know the person who is chatting with you just because you are chatting. If you tell a secret in chat or like that, its no more a secret.
Names can be changed..... Be carefull what you post or send!


Its for the people who would claim, "but steam didnt tell me that i should not believe a stranger in the internet!"

Do you translate, or is english your native language ?

Originally Posted by ititj

it says may not, not cannot

I have seen rules posted using many "may nots". The way Valve worded it could be taken the way i presented it or the way you suggested.

Example:

http://support.twitter.com/articles/18311#

You may not buy or sell Twitter usernames.
You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others.
You may not impersonate others through the Twitter service in a manner that does or is intended to mislead, confuse, or deceive others.

[yousername]

Originally Posted by Wolfrip_Sixshot

I have seen rules posted using many "may nots". The way Valve worded it could be taken the way i presented it or the way you suggested.

Example:

http://support.twitter.com/articles/18311#

You may not buy or sell Twitter usernames.
You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others.
You may not impersonate others through the Twitter service in a manner that does or is intended to mislead, confuse, or deceive others.

Right, may implies whether or not you've been given permission. you CAN do a lot of things, including murder, doesn't mean you MAY.

[Wolfrip_Sixshot]

Originally Posted by yousername

Right, may implies whether or not you've been given permission. you CAN do a lot of things, including murder, doesn't mean you MAY.

Users who message one another cannot know each other personally.

Would that be the correct wording for a rule against chatting to people you personally know on steam chat?

[agafaba]

Originally Posted by Wolfrip_Sixshot

Since we don't have a thread about this specific issue.

Chat Forums, Etc.

Valve's products or services may provide chat, forums, bulletin boards, or instant messaging tools to users. Any information that is disclosed in chat, forums or bulletin boards should be considered public information, and users who message one another may not know each other personally. Valve has no obligation to keep private personally identifiable information that a user makes available to other users or the public using these functions. Users should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in public forums. Users should also be aware that game play information disclosed during multiplayer game play (e.g. player name and current player statistics) is public information and may be displayed to other users.

So it is now against the rules to talk to my family, my fiance or my friends online?
&
If i talk to anyone my conversations can be made public?

So we can only talk to strangers and all our conversations can be made public. That makes the chat function useless as im sure a great many of us have friends, family or partners on their steam list. Users who message one another may not know each other personally. How are we suppose to agree to that and use chat?

This is officially the best thread on the new ToS. I wish this was true and Steam was actually enforcing a stranger only policy.

[ChrisW]

Originally Posted by Wolfrip_Sixshot

Since we don't have a thread about this specific issue.

Chat Forums, Etc.

Valve's products or services may provide chat, forums, bulletin boards, or instant messaging tools to users. Any information that is disclosed in chat, forums or bulletin boards should be considered public information, and users who message one another may not know each other personally. Valve has no obligation to keep private personally identifiable information that a user makes available to other users or the public using these functions. Users should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in public forums. Users should also be aware that game play information disclosed during multiplayer game play (e.g. player name and current player statistics) is public information and may be displayed to other users.

So it is now against the rules to talk to my family, my fiance or my friends online?
&
If i talk to anyone my conversations can be made public?

So we can only talk to strangers and all our conversations can be made public. That makes the chat function useless as im sure a great many of us have friends, family or partners on their steam list. Users who message one another may not know each other personally. How are we suppose to agree to that and use chat?

It sounds to me they are saying if you go and tell someone your personal information, you can't expect Valve to prevent that person from telling everyone else. So be careful who you tell your personal information.