Change one post in topic to a PM

[Biscuit]

Problem:
I can select a post within a topic and move it to a new or existing topic. I can also change it’s ownership. But, I can’t change that one post to a PM. I can change a whole topic to a PM. But, I can’t change one post to a PM.

Scenario:
Someone posts a reply in a topic and I want to remove it and explain why to them, privately. An easy approach is to turn that one post into a PM and then reply to it privately, outside the topic.

Recommendation:
Have the same “change to PM” functionality available for both topics and posts.

[codinghorror (Jeff Atwood)]

Why? You can split the post to a new topic, then make that new topic a PM. Done and done.

[Biscuit]

Moving it to a new topic is a clunky non-intuitive 2-step workaround.

I could also copy the message to the clipboard, start a new PM and then paste it in… but this moderation use-case is so common it deserves to be optimised to a single convenient step.

Splitting it into a new topic also means that temporary topic has to either appear briefly within a public category (undesirable and not private), or a staff category (which is also not fully private), until it’s converted to PM.

[Mittineague]

How is it originally in a topic that is fully private?

What I often do is

• delete the post
• click the avatar to open the user card
• click message

The post is one boxed / linked to, and I can comment on and discuss the post in the message that is created.

[Biscuit]

Interesting. I never use the MESSAGE option on the user card. Good to know, thanks. Can the user view the deleted post though? Haven’t tested yet.

How is it originally in a topic that is fully private?

I’d be removing the post because it’s undesirable, so moving it into a new topic that appears at the top of the new topics list isn’t great.

[tkrunning (Thomas K. Running)]

Just ran into this need today as well, so consider this a vote for the feature. I’ll use the workaround for now, but I agree with @Biscuit that it would make a very useful feature.