Introducing a Topic of Split Posts

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Here is a feature I would like and I believe others might want if they have forums that are more deep-discussion-heavy.

 

Often in discussions there is what I call "thread drift." People take off on a new discussion on a different subject. And it's a good discussion, but it derails the one the Topic was set up for. So setting up a new Topic for that new discussion and Splitting the relevant post to it makes a lot of sense.

 

But the Topic post will always be the first post Split off from the original Topic. Sometimes this first post is not a good introduction and sometimes this even starts a Topic by a user who never starts Topics.

 

If I start a new Topic with a separate post to introduce it before Splitting posts from the original Topic, the first Split post automatically transforms into the Topic post, and the introduction post transforms into a normal post and goes to the bottom of the thread. I believe this is due to the time stamps.

 

The only workaround I have found is to edit the first post (that was Split off from the original Topic) and put in the following text or something like it.

 

     NEW TITLE

     "NOTE FROM MODERATOR" or ADMINISTRATOR or something like that.

     Then I say the first X number of the following posts were moved over from elsewhere, and I give the link.

     I end with a double line to separate my message from the actual post. Something like this:

     ==================================================================================

 

 

It would be great is there were some way to introduce the new Topic with its own post, have that be the Topic post, and have it stay at the top.

 

Thanks.

 

Michael

[Nathan Explosion]

Instead of editing the first post and adding your content, maybe try using the "Recommend" functionality on the first post of the 'new' topic:

 

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

NE,

I just checked that out and saw it gives a field where I can write a message from the moderator.

I'll put up a dummy Topic to see what it looks like after the message is published and if I can format it. (Your picture helped get an idea.)

I don't want to do this to an existing Topic because I am not sure I will be able to delete the message after. I want to test this first.

So thanks. If it works, that helps.

But even so, the ability to introduce a Topic with a post (where images, video, etc. can be included if relevant) is something I would like.

Michael

Edited March 8, 2023 by Michael Stuart Kelly

[Nathan Explosion]

16 minutes ago, Michael Stuart Kelly said:

...I am not sure I will be able to delete the message after.

[Marc]

Thats a great work around, Nathan. Cheers

Thinking of it that way, you would potentially use the "Add message" feature to do this also

[Nathan Explosion]

Yup, and that then covers the following requirement through the Editor being available.

1 hour ago, Michael Stuart Kelly said:

(where images, video, etc. can be included if relevant)

 

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I just now tested these last two ideas and, with a little creativity, I already know they will work really well.

I tested "Recommend" + "Add message"

And I tested just "Add message."

For clarity. In the first test, I added the message to the Recommend. In the second, I added the message to the first post itself. The only drawback for adding a message to Recommend is that you can only add attachments or URLS or things like that. But after that, you can edit the message and add text.

To be honest, from what I saw, "Add message" to the first post works by itself since the first post of a Topic made from split posts will be the Topic post, thus it will always stay on top.  And the message (at least in my test) goes above that.

But I like adding some extra stuff with Recommend... 

I will play with this over time.

Thank you guys.

M

Edited March 8, 2023 by Michael Stuart Kelly