Tip: You can navigate to specific sections in the video by selecting the Chapters icon.
Learning Objectives:
1. Summarize how to create a discussion forum.
2. Describe how to post a new topic and reply to a topic.
3. Explain how to approve forum posts.
Video Script
Welcome to the Discussion Forum: Creating Forums & Topics overview. In this video we will demonstrate how to create discussion forums, add and reply to discussion topics, and approve discussion posts.
To get started, select Setup from the welcome menu. Then, select Discussion Forum & Classified from the main menu followed by the Discussion Forum tab. This will open the forum page where you can configure discussion forums for your building.
To create a new discussion forum, select Add New. Then, enter a title for the discussion forum. Next, enter a description of the discussion forum. This will appear as a tool tip beside the forum name.
After entering a description, determine if the forum requires moderation, and if applicable, pick the appropriate user group. The user group will then be required to approve all forum posts. If the appropriate user group is not listed on the drop-down menu, check the group permissions.
Next, determine if you want to mask names on the discussion forum. If selected, you will only see user’s initials as opposed to full names. Then, select the user groups you want to have access to the forum. Once completed, click Add. You will now see the new discussion forum on the forum list.
After creating your discussion forums, add terms and conditions for using the discussion forums. Click the Edit icon in the designated section and enter the terms and conditions. Users will be asked to agree to these terms and conditions each time they add a topic or reply to a post. Once completed, click Save. You will now see the new terms and conditions.
Next, add introductory text to the discussion forums. Click the Edit icon in the designated section and enter the introductory text. Users will see this text when creating a new topic within a forum. Once completed, click Save. You will now see the new introductory text.
To add or approve discussion posts, return to the homepage by selecting Exit Setup. Then, select Discussion Forum from the main menu. This will open the discussion forum list where you can review, approve, and create discussion forum posts.
Posts that require your approval will be listed at the top of the page. To approve a post, click the green checkmark, to decline a post, click the red x and provide an explanation for the resident.
You can conduct an all-text keyword search of the discussion forum list using the search bar at the top of the page. You can also sort the forum list by forum name, number of threads, number of replies, number of views, or date last updated.
Click on a forum name to see the discussion topics. By default, the most recent discussion topic will appear at the top of the list. To highlight a topic, click the pushpin beside the topic name. This will move the topic to the top of the list.
To receive updates on the discussion forum, select Follow. To see a list of the users following the forum, select View Followers. Only building administrators can view forum followers. These options will also be available at the discussion topic level should you wish to only follow certain topics in the forum.
To create a new discussion topic, select New Topic. Then, enter a name for the topic. Next, enter the message for your discussion topic. If applicable, upload any files you want included with your post. Once completed, agree to the terms and conditions, and click Create.
You will now see the new topic in the discussion forum. If the forum requires moderator approval, and you are not the forum moderator, you will see a message that your post has been submitted for moderator approval.
To reply to a discussion topic, click on the topic name. If you want to reply to a specific post, select either Reply or Quote. If you want to respond to the topic but not a specific post, select Share Your Views. Each option will then open a text box where you can enter your reply. If applicable, upload any relevant files and then agree to the terms and conditions. Once completed, click Post.
You will now see the reply in the discussion thread. Like before, if the forum requires moderator approval, and you are not the forum moderator, you will see a message that your post has been submitted for moderator approval.
To edit your post, click on the body of the message. To remove your reply from the discussion topic, select Delete. Forum moderators can delete all discussion post, regardless of who created the post.
This concludes the Discussion Forum: Creating Forums & Topics overview. For more information on the discussion forum feature, please refer to our user guide.