Valve learned back then that way too many users can't be trusted to keep their accounts secure, which leads to more work for Valve having to deal with all the support tickets those user file, even if the response is a cut and paste reply about account security being the users responsibility. And those are the kinds of people that will immediately turn off the security, and then complain when they lose their stuff.

The thing is, nearly everyone that gets their Steam Wallet drained gave away their account credentials to some third party. Either they were using some 3rd party trading/gambling site, or they got phished by a convincing fake Steam login page. If users would learn to be more careful with where they login with their Steam credentials, this wouldn't be the problem it is today.

If Valve wanted people to be able to opt out, they'd have that option. They have the system they want.

Originally posted by nullable:

If Valve wanted people to be able to opt out, they'd have that option. They have the system they want.

They tried that when Steam Guard first came out. It didn't go well.

Security restrictions you can opt out from are no security restrictions because the system doesn't know whether it's you or an account hijacker that disables them.

so even though it's only an embuggerance and security vulnerability for the likes of me i'm expected to go get a smartphone, load it with a hash that can access my steam account, and press confirm one by one by one because some people are idiots?
it's hard to accept change for the worst even when the reason isn't just 'can't have ♥♥♥♥ in detroit'

Originally posted by SovieticNoob:

so even though it's only an embuggerance and security vulnerability for the likes of me i'm expected to go get a smartphone, load it with a hash that can access my steam account, and press confirm one by one by one because some people are idiots?

You're supposed to make a decision about the system that exists. It sounds like it doesn't meet your standards, so you shouldn't use it.

To answer your question though, yes. If you want to use their system, you have to meet their requirements. Arguing like it's an extreme burden, and wholly unreasonable, might validate your negative feelings but maybe it doesn't negate the years of experience and informed decisions Valve makes about how the system works.

End of the day, no one is forcing you to use the market. So you'll have to decide which matters more, your dislike of the requirements, or your desire to sell items for wallet funds. In the grand scheme of things, neither choice matters to anyone but you.

Originally posted by SovieticNoob:

it's hard to accept change for the worst even when the reason isn't just 'can't have ♥♥♥♥ in detroit'

Users hate change. And Valve can't please everyone.

Originally posted by SovieticNoob:

it makes no sense to me the buy option that can drain your account has less restriction than selling.

It causes me no end of entertainment seeing people roleplaying as Valve employees with the "Aw shucks bud Valve HAD to do this there's nothing any of us can do." when the solutions Valve DOES employ are so obviously contradictory with their own made up excuses for why they think Valve did X or Y, especially with so many examples like this of obvious abuse vectors that end up ignored by Valve.

This sounds like a case of.

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.