Posting Discussions & Comments - Vanilla Success
<main> <article class="userContent"> <p>Posting user-generated content is how your users interact with one another in your <strong>Higher Logic Vanilla</strong> (<strong>Vanilla</strong>) community. Posted content can be either a:</p><ul><li><strong>Discussion</strong> - how a user starts a new thread about a topic of interest.</li><li><strong>Comment</strong> - any follow-up content (reply) to an established Discussion.</li></ul><h3 data-id="notes">Notes</h3><ul><li>Comments can exist <em>only as part of a discussion</em>.</li><li>Each discussion can have an <em>unlimited number of comments</em>.</li></ul><h2 data-id="examples">Examples</h2><p>In the image below, Lila posted a discussion (<strong>Best community software?</strong>) at 4:15; at 4:18 Charlie posted a comment (note the smaller heading called <strong>Comments</strong>).</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/172/URLMU5K3X7F0.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/172/URLMU5K3X7F0.png" alt="image.png" height="180" width="320" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h2 data-id="custom-nomenclature">Custom Nomenclature</h2><p>As it is with many things, how your user-generated content is referred to can differ from our default labels. For example, <em>posts</em>, <em>threads</em>, and <em>topics</em> are three very common ways of referring to this form of "conversation."</p><p>In your Vanilla community, the default labels of <em>discussions</em> and <em>comments</em> can be customized without changing the underlying functionality.</p><p>If you'd like to customize these labels, contact your CSM.</p><h2 data-id="discussions"><strong>Discussions</strong></h2><p>There are a range of discussion types to help communities adjust the functionality to best suit their needs.</p><p>To create a new discussion, click the “New Post” button at the top of the side panel on any page:</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YElcdMsElzzUjMsxp3-jddhMpxfbzGi-XzV9o45QMj-HEGtiiPzFTHFDWnZw8Thkh-RpXRlQyvIYEbbeouY47mBXCnO6KrzBMgcNPHPlC6cruhCWIdEbXZejWv_LFsiGpGGERJqs" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YElcdMsElzzUjMsxp3-jddhMpxfbzGi-XzV9o45QMj-HEGtiiPzFTHFDWnZw8Thkh-RpXRlQyvIYEbbeouY47mBXCnO6KrzBMgcNPHPlC6cruhCWIdEbXZejWv_LFsiGpGGERJqs" alt="YElcdMsElzzUjMsxp3-jddhMpxfbzGi-XzV9o45QMj-HEGtiiPzFTHFDWnZw8Thkh-RpXRlQyvIYEbbeouY47mBXCnO6KrzBMgcNPHPlC6cruhCWIdEbXZejWv_LFsiGpGGERJqs" height="332" width="624" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>When you click the “New Post” button, you get a drop down of posting options.</p><p>📝 <strong>NOTE</strong>: Some Vanilla addons (such as <em>Ideas</em> and <em>Polls</em>) add a Discussion type to the community. </p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-small float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eziiSzd8oNR-EOOvujiWXsNj_JI9K2w3zi1atdQXHPrd568cuMp4Iq2UBh5ki-hsaMFgRP69hzZ0ONcm0Z9ZqQAki1VcPRBVEOhMHwWdEXxt5B96xalOWFn8xBj-Ii2g3jbZJSeX" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eziiSzd8oNR-EOOvujiWXsNj_JI9K2w3zi1atdQXHPrd568cuMp4Iq2UBh5ki-hsaMFgRP69hzZ0ONcm0Z9ZqQAki1VcPRBVEOhMHwWdEXxt5B96xalOWFn8xBj-Ii2g3jbZJSeX" alt="eziiSzd8oNR-EOOvujiWXsNj_JI9K2w3zi1atdQXHPrd568cuMp4Iq2UBh5ki-hsaMFgRP69hzZ0ONcm0Z9ZqQAki1VcPRBVEOhMHwWdEXxt5B96xalOWFn8xBj-Ii2g3jbZJSeX" height="330" width="321" loading="lazy" data-display-size="small" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>The options that display are dependent on which addons are enabled in the community. There can be as many as five options:</p><ul><li>Discussion</li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/92-ideation" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Ideas</a></li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/93-polls" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Polls</a></li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/20-questions-answers-q-a" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Questions</a></li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/70-groups-and-events#events" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Events</a></li></ul><p>Selecting the “New Discussion” button will lead you to /post/discussion. Here’s what you will encounter on the new discussions page:</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iwXe-BiBN6onIF9pr8aOCUJ_kJRko2thMCuYfCcwHVSlZX5QA3oO90EGDTA0nNr_gjS8gcHG8gzO8TjsXDy7eWmjkRO1kJxdECobxctLowu_pazx95jD8qMa4cxQ45MWRojlaj24" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iwXe-BiBN6onIF9pr8aOCUJ_kJRko2thMCuYfCcwHVSlZX5QA3oO90EGDTA0nNr_gjS8gcHG8gzO8TjsXDy7eWmjkRO1kJxdECobxctLowu_pazx95jD8qMa4cxQ45MWRojlaj24" alt="iwXe-BiBN6onIF9pr8aOCUJ_kJRko2thMCuYfCcwHVSlZX5QA3oO90EGDTA0nNr_gjS8gcHG8gzO8TjsXDy7eWmjkRO1kJxdECobxctLowu_pazx95jD8qMa4cxQ45MWRojlaj24" height="515" width="624" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <ol><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/8-category-configuration-management#category-selector" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Category Selector</a> to choose which category you would like to add your discussion to.</li><li>The discussion title is what will show at the top of the post once it’s been submitted. It will also identify the discussion on the category index.</li><li>This is the field where the user will type out the main body of their post.</li><li>Admin and Moderators will have the option to make their discussion an <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/101-announcements" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Announcement</a> by selecting one of these options</li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/94-tagging" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Tags</a> mark a discussion with certain keywords so it is easier to search for within the community. By default, up to five tags can be used on a post.</li><li>Once the user has finished typing their post, clicking the Post Discussion button will immediately publish it. Clicking <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/199-drafts" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Save Draft</a> will store the post under “My Drafts” in a user’s profile menu. Preview will show the user what the finished post will look like when published. Cancel will bring the user back to the category they were viewing previously.</li></ol><h2 data-id="comments"><strong>Comments</strong></h2><p>At the bottom of each discussion, the user will encounter a text field:</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/t2RTHalE5j0MpzTemREjfeMY6zK8qiXQ8A07Rf1A-mjfNnoX1qDMnwJw24x1k9lbTTjEYxkdLwjwSPHgF636fjaF-uoZ0KoLw77U08kGw4O2XChT5VixDI4cCE3us4aZ7WZ84HYE" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/t2RTHalE5j0MpzTemREjfeMY6zK8qiXQ8A07Rf1A-mjfNnoX1qDMnwJw24x1k9lbTTjEYxkdLwjwSPHgF636fjaF-uoZ0KoLw77U08kGw4O2XChT5VixDI4cCE3us4aZ7WZ84HYE" alt="t2RTHalE5j0MpzTemREjfeMY6zK8qiXQ8A07Rf1A-mjfNnoX1qDMnwJw24x1k9lbTTjEYxkdLwjwSPHgF636fjaF-uoZ0KoLw77U08kGw4O2XChT5VixDI4cCE3us4aZ7WZ84HYE" height="284" width="624" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>Users are able to type their comments here and submit them by hitting the “Post Comment” button. That comment will immediately append the bottom of the discussion, adding it to the conversation.</p><h2 data-id="rich-editor">Rich Editor</h2><p>Rich Editor is activated on new communities by default. It provides an array of tools for your members to use when posting discussions and comments.</p><p>To learn more about the Rich Editor, see:</p><div class="js-embed embedResponsive" data-embedjson="{"body":"Overview The Rich Editor is the default editor on Vanilla. It allows for intuitive styling and formatting to posts and discussions. (Image) It should be noted that older clients of Vanilla may still be using our Advanced Editor, and are allowed to upgrade at any time. To enable this, navigate to your dashboard, then…","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6030677\/uploads\/VWGAXAF5OFCO\/microsoftteams-image.png","url":"https:\/\/success.vanillaforums.com\/kb\/articles\/13-rich-editor","embedType":"link","name":"Rich Editor - Vanilla Success"}"> <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/13-rich-editor" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc"> https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/13-rich-editor </a> </div><h2 data-id="additional-resources">Additional Resources</h2><ul><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/78-emoji" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Emoji</a></li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/56-smart-embed" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Smart Embed</a></li><li><a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/110-deleting-discussions-and-comments" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Deleting Discussions and Comments</a></li></ul> </article> </main>