Managing forums, topics and messages

Table of contents

1. Edit a forum or topic
2. Copying a forum
3. Copying a topic
4. Copying or moving a discussion message
5. Copying shared forums and topics
6. Reorder forums and topics
7. Deleting discussion forums, topics, and messages
8. Restoring a deleted discussion message

Edit a forum or topic

1. On the Discussions List page, click Edit from the context menu of the forum or topic you want to edit.
2. Make your changes.
3. Click Save.

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Copying a forum

Copying a forum creates a new forum with the same properties as the original. You can copy the forum’s topics and 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 Discussions List page, click Copy from the More Actions button.
2. Click Copy a Forum.
3. Select the forum you want to copy from the Forum to Copy drop-down list.
4. In the New Forum Title field, enter a name for the copied forum.
5. Select the Copy Options you want:
   • 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.
6. Click Copy. See Creating discussion forums and topics for information on how to customize the settings of your copied forum.

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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 Copying or moving a discussion message.

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, click the topic's Edit icon, and select the desired forum from the Forum drop-down list on the Properties tab.

Copy a topic

1. On the Discussions List page, click Copy from the More Actions button.
2. Click Copy a Topic.
3. Select the forum that contains the topic you want to copy from the Forum to Copy drop-down list.
4. Select the Topic to Copy from the drop-down list.
5. In the New Topic Title field, enter a name for the copied topic.
6. In the Copy Destination list, select the forum you want to copy the topic to. If you select multiple forums, a copy is created for each forum.
7. Select the Copy pinned messages check box if you want pinned messages to be copied into the new topic. We recommend you select this If you use pinned messages to provide information and instructions about the topic.
8. Click Copy. See Creating discussion forums and topics for information on how to customize the settings of your copied topic.

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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:
   • If you are using the Grid Style message list, open the message and click Copy from the message's More Actions button.
   • If you are using the Reading Style message list, click More actions to expand the action options beneath the message header, then click Copy.
2. Select from the Destination Forum and Destination Topic drop-down lists where you want to copy the message to.
3. Select addition Copy Options:
   • Select the Copy message replies check box to copy replies to the message.
   • Select the Delete original message after copy completes check box to delete the original message after it is copied.

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

4. 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 (as opposed to course-specific 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.

See Shared forums and topics for more information about shared forums and topics.

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Reorder forums and topics

1. On the Discussions List page, click Reorder from the More Actions button.
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 besude the forum, or click Expand All at the top of the list.
4. Click Save.

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Deleting discussion forums, topics, and messages

Delete discussion forums or topics

1. On the Discussions List page, click Delete from the More Actions button.
2. Select the check boxes beside forums and topics you want to delete.
3. Click Delete Selected.

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 check boxes beside the messages you want to delete in the message list, then click the Delete Selected Messages icon.
  • Click on the message you want to delete, then click Delete from the message's More Actions button.
• If you use the Reading Style message list, click More actions, then click Delete.

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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 from the message's More Actions button.
• In the Reading Style message list, click the More actions link beneath the message header, then click Undelete.

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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