Help! I need to make just one category public

Product Support

AI-generated summary

In a Support category discussion titled “Help! I need to make just one category public,” nathank sought urgent advice on making one category public in a private Discourse forum to share real-time poll results from health professionals regarding COVID-19. Their plan involved restricting all other categories to logged-in users (TL_0 or tighter) and creating a public category with a closed poll topic. Heliosurge affirmed the approach, suggesting either using a closed topic or structuring a parent category (visible to everyone, reply restricted to a group) with a subcategory (fully public). They also noted user lists could be hidden. nathank later reported the urgency had passed, as authorities had responded, and celebrated New Zealand’s Level 4 lockdown starting March 25, 2020, praising Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Heliosurge echoed the sentiment, noting Canada was also under full lockdown.

1

I have an urgent need to make one category public in a private forum.

This is to communicate what our health professionals think in real time in a poll regarding an urgent COVID-19 issue, to contribute to the increasingly heated public debate.

Can anyone give me a quick rundown of any anticipated problems? I’ve read the posts on here, but as always Discourse has moved on in some fronts. My plan:

  1. Make all groups only visible to logged in users
  2. Make all other categories create, reply, see for TL_0 (or tighter), and not everyone
  3. Create Public category set at see for everyone, reply for TL-0, and post a closed topic with the poll in it.

Is this going to work? Will any user data be exposed?

2

From my understanding I think you have the right idea.

Your Closed Topics will need to have your current membership in groups with them being only visible to those groups.

For your Publically view Category you have a few options.

If you want folks to be able to Discuss things you can use a closed Topic or setup 2 Categories.

Parent Category

Security Setting:

  • Everyone: See
  • Group Name: Create/See/Reply

Subcategory

Security Setting:

  • Everyone: Create/See/Reply

I believe you can make the user list not viewable.

3

Thank you - the urgent need has abated. They have listened; finally.

Hot off the press - New Zealand is going into complete (Level 4) lockdown from midnight Wed 25/3/2020.

Jacinda Ardern is the best PM ever - we love you!!!

4

Yeah :canada: is pretty much in a full lockdown as well.