The discussion addresses confusion regarding why announcement topics are sometimes unlisted during setup. Ethsim2 questions the utility of topics that allow public replies but do not appear in standard lists, noting this creates a disjointed user experience where notifications are sent for content users cannot easily find. Ethsim2 suggests this unlisting is often used for a “baking” phase to finalize category details before a public launch, but acknowledges the need for clearer indicators to reduce confusion.
Moin clarifies the specific context, explaining that unlisting an accidentally published topic in the #announcements category does not make it private. While unlisting removes the topic from the “latest” list, it does not stop notifications for users subscribed to the category, nor does it prevent direct access via links. Moin highlights a significant risk: if a topic is unlisted, users who have the link can read and reply, but the majority of users will not see these replies in their feeds, potentially fragmenting the discussion. The core issue is that unlisting offers limited protection against accidental publication in highly visible categories, as it fails to hide the topic from those already notified or holding the direct URL.
I can definitely relate to this concern, and I think it comes down to a short “setup” or “baking” phase.
When I create categories (or announcement topics about new features), I almost always want a brief window to:
edit the About the category topic into something genuinely useful,
double-check permissions, appearance, and structure,
make sure the first thing people see isn’t obviously a placeholder.
Keeping things unlisted during that phase avoids notifying people about something that’s clearly not “ready” yet. Once it is, making it public feels like a deliberate “this is live now” moment rather than a half-finished reveal.
That said, I agree it can be surprising when something appears to allow replies but doesn’t show up in lists as expected. A clearer indicator that a topic is intentionally unlisted for early feedback (or an alternative like being listed but muted by default) might help reduce that confusion.
Since the topic from which my quote originates is no longer public, I would like to briefly explain the context here.
It did not refer in any way to the creation of new categories, but only to the fact that unlisting an accidentally published topic in the #announcements category may not have the desired effect due to the configuration that all users are notified of new topics in the category by default and the fact that it is displayed to admins in “what’s new.”
Unlisting prevents the topic from being displayed in “latest,” but it does not make the topic private. Anyone who knows the link can open the topic, read it, and reply to it as in any other topic. Since many people had a link to this topic, I was concerned that the fact that anyone could read it and reply to it, but hardly anyone would see the replies of others, would harm the discussion in the topic.
Unlisting keeps a topic more hidden, but anyone with access to the category can access it and receives notifications just like for any other topic.