Managing forums, topics and messages

Table of contents

• Edit a forum or topic
• Copying a forum
• Copying a topic
• Copying or moving a discussion message
• Copying shared forums and topics
• Reorder forums and topics
• Deleting discussion forums, topics, or messages
• Restoring a deleted discussion message

Edit a forum or topic

1. On the main discussions page, click the Edit icon for the forum or topic you want to edit.
2. Select the tab containing the information you want to edit.

   Note  Switching between tabs automatically saves any changes made on the current tab.

3. Make your changes to the properties.
4. Click Save if applicable.

Copying a forum

Copying a forum creates a new forum with the same properties as the original. You can choose to copy the forum’s topics as well as any pinned messages within those topics. Copying a forum does not copy any normal, unpinned messages inside the forum’s topics, however you can copy or move individual messages from existing topics once the new topics are created.

Copy a forum

1. On the main discussions page, click Copy on the top tool menu.
2. Click Copy a Forum.
3. From the Forum to Copy list, select the forum you want to copy.
4. In the New Forum Title field, type a name for the new forum.
5. Select the options you want:
6. • Copy topics  Select this option to copy all of the topics inside the forum; new topics are created with the same titles and properties as the existing ones.
   • Copy pinned messages  If you choose to copy topics, select this option to copy any pinned messages within those topics. If you use pinned messages to post information about a topic (rules, evaluation criteria, etc.) you might want to copy these messages along with the topics.
7. Click Copy.

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Copying a topic

Copying a topic creates a new topic with the same properties as the original. Links to grade items or competency activities are not copied. You can choose to copy pinned messages along with the topic. Copying a topic does not copy any normal, unpinned messages inside the topic, however you can copy or move individual messages from inside the existing topic once the new topic is created. See Managing Discussion Forums and Topics.

If you want to copy topics into another course offering, see Copying course components between org units. If you want to move a topic from one forum to another, edit the topic and select a new forum from the Forum drop-down list on the Properties tab.

Copy a topic

1. On the main discussions page, click Copy on the top tool menu.
2. Click Copy a Topic.
3. From the Forum to Copy list, select the forum containing the topic you want to copy.
4. From the Topic to Copy list, select the topic you want to copy.
5. In the New Topic Title field, type a name for the new topic.
6. From the Copy Destination list, select the forum you want to copy the topic to. If you select multiple forums, multiple copies of the topic are created.
7. Select Copy pinned messages if you want pinned messages to be copied into the new topic. If you use pinned messages to post information about the topic, you might want to copy these messages.
8. Click Copy.

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Copying or moving a discussion message

Messages don’t have to stay in the topics they are initially posted to. If you think a message belongs in a different topic, you can move it by copying it and choosing the option to delete the original message. If a message is applicable to more than one topic, you can copy it into as many other topics as you want.

Copy or move a message

1. Do one of the following:
2. • If you are using the Grid Style message list, open the message and click Copy on the top tool menu.
   • If you are using the Reading Style message list, click More actions beneath the message header, then click Copy on the action bar above the message.
3. Select the forum and topic you want to copy the message to.
4. Select any additional options you want:
5. • To copy any replies made to the message, select Copy message replies.
   • To move the message from the current topic into the selected one, select Delete original message after copy completes.

     Caution If you choose to delete the original message and do not choose to copy replies, any replies made to the message are deleted.

6. Click Copy.

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Copying shared forums and topics

Copying is the only task that is significantly different when working with shared forums and topics because you can copy shared forums and topics between org units.

For example, if you create a shared forum and set of topics in the Math department, you can use the Copy command from the Shared Discussions List page to copy this structure to the English department, the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, the Fall 2009 semester, or any other org unit that supports shared forums.

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Reorder forums and topics

1. On the main discussions page, click Reorder on the top tool menu.
2. From the drop-down list in the Sort Order column, select the position in the list where you want each forum or topic to appear. Forums are ordered relative to each other; topics are ordered within each forum.
3. If the topics in a forum are not visible, click the Expand icon next to the forum, or click Expand All at the top of the list.
4. Click Save.

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Deleting discussion forums, topics, or messages

Delete discussion forums or topics

1. On the main discussions page, click Delete on the top tool menu.
2. Select the forums and topics you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete Selected button.

Delete a discussion message from a topic

Important  When you delete a message, the system also deletes any replies to that message.

• If you use the Grid Style message list, do one of the following:
  • Select the messages you want to delete in the message list then click the Delete Selected Messages icon.
  • Open the message you want to delete and click Delete on the top tool menu.
• If you use the Reading Style message list, click the More actions link for that message then click Delete icon when it appears.

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Restoring a deleted discussion message

To restore a deleted message, you must have permission to view deleted messages and you must have the Display deleted messages option enabled on the Settings page.

Restore a deleted message

Do one of the following:

• In the Grid Style message list, open the message and click Undelete on the top tool menu.
• In the Reading Style message list, click the More actions link below the message header, then click Undelete on the action bar above the message.

Note  If the message restored was a reply to another message, and the other message has also been deleted, both messages are restored.

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