What is a thread?

• How to read a thread

• Thread Actions

• Available thread actions by Restriction Level

A thread is a specific topic of discussion found within a forum. A thread is made up of posts shared by community members. Any community member can create a thread, although some forums may be locked or require you to have a higher Restriction Level. All threads can be found on the “Forums” page. 

Note: Catch up on what’s been happening by clicking on “Unread Threads” at the top of the “Forums” page! You can also spot threads on the “Home” page under “Most Recent Threads.” Just scroll down to view the list!

“Unread Threads” on the “Forums” page is highlighted in dark blue.

Threads are organized in ascending order; recent posts are at the bottom of the page. As the thread grows, new pages will be added. The most recent post will be at the bottom of the last page. 

It’s easy to navigate to a thread’s most recent post. On the “Forums” page, look to the far right of a thread’s title for an arrow icon. This button will take you straight to the thread’s last post!

The button to navigate directly to a forum’s most recent post is highlighted in dark blue.

Individual posts are separated by a horizontal line. Its core content is located near the center of the page and can include everything from text to video. You can learn more about what makes up a post here.

Want to find your way back to a previous forum? Look beneath the horizontal page menu for the navigation path - this shows the path from the main “Forum” page to the current thread. 

The navigation path is highlighted here in dark blue.

Need to read a thread distraction-free? Look to the right of the navigation path to access Zen Mode. Just click the book icon to launch! You are also able to toggle light/dark mode in Zen Mode for easier reading.

The “Zen Mode” button is highlighted in dark blue.

There are many ways to engage with a thread. Want to keep up-to-date with new posts? Try following the thread. Want to increase the visibility of a thread? You can upvote it! And, of course, you can add your own thoughts by posting.

At the top of a thread, you’ll see a series of icons to the left of the “Reply” button. This toolbar gives you some additional ways to interact with a thread. Which icons you can see will differ depending on your Restriction Level.

The thread toolbar is highlighted in dark blue.

Via the threads toolbar, you may be able to:

• Pin: The “Pin” button is a thumbtack icon. Clicking this button will set the thread to appear at the top of a forum.

• Lock: The “Lock” button is a padlock icon. Locking a thread restricts who can post. Only users with a Restriction Level of Moderator or higher can lock a thread.

• Edit: The “Edit” button is a square icon with a diagonal line through it. If you’re a thread’s original poster or have a Restriction Level of Moderator or higher, clicking this button will bring up a text editor block. Any user in good standing can start a thread.

• Move: The “Move” button is a horizontal arrow icon. You need a Restriction Level of Moderator or higher to move a thread.

• Add Moderation Message: The “Moderation Message” button is an alert triangle. Only users with a Restriction Level higher than Moderator can moderate a thread.

• Delete: The “Delete” button is a trash can icon. The original poster, Devs, and Admins can delete threads.

Some thread interactions are available within individual posts. This includes reporting a thread and linking to a thread.

If you see a post with offensive content or a user being belligerent towards other community members, please report the post by clicking the “Report” button. The “Report” button is the flag icon on the right-hand side of the post.

If you want to share the thread with others, look for the grey link icon on the right-hand side of any post. Click to copy the URL. You can use this URL to share the thread or link back to the thread from elsewhere.

The link will direct to the post you copied the URL from. If you want to link to the start of a thread, make sure to copy the link from the original! Click on the “Link” button on the top post on the first page to copy the URL that links to the start of the thread.

Note: If a thread is moved, the URL will change.

The thread interactions available to you depend on your Restriction Level. The table below summarizes what you can do with a thread. The rows are actions and the columns are Restriction Level.