# Group Messages As Announcement **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature\ **Created:** [March 24, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/group-messages-as-announcement/259334 "2023-03-24T20:19:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![cogdog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/cogdog/32/116536_2.png) [@cogdog](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cogdog)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/group-messages-as-announcement/259334/1 "2023-03-24T20:19:52Z")
My organization really wants to be able to send periodic community announcements to groups, as not everyone, especially new users seems to be visiting regularly. They want to direct users to a specific activity as a topic. The problem with group messages is that a recipient replies thinking it is to the sender, when it relays to the whole group, and we generate tons of noise and email notification. I have tried everything to disable a group message, tried closing, unlisting, turning off reply by email across the site and regardless, non admin users are able to see and reply to a group message even when closed-- this one is closed but the reply button is still active. ![PM marked closed but still accepts replies](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/4/f/e/4fedf199b61dcd4ebf30d38bd689318be49a1209.jpeg) I know the consensus here is to just use categories with specified permissions but we are trying to reach people on just an announcement approach. It seems like the only thing we can do is overtly request DO NOT REPLY! Am I missing anything? Am ready to admit defeat. --- _[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/group-messages-as-announcement/259334)._