Please update 'Understanding Discourse Trust Levels' — or is there a different doc?

[mattdm (Matthew Miller)]

Continuing the discussion from Own-topics-only category for draft announcements?:

I learned recently that TL4 users can schedule posts. I thought that was moderator (or admin?) only. I know Understanding Discourse Trust Levels is “just” a blog post, but it’s linked prominently in a lot of places, so I kind of assumed it was comprehensive.

What other things do TL4 users get that aren’t listed? What about at other trust levels? Thank you!

[JammyDodger]

Hi @mattdm

Someone is looking into amending the blog, but in the meantime I can check out a TL4 test-user and give a quick overview if that’s any help?

Post Wrench:

• Add Staff Notice
• Make Wiki^[1]
• Rebuild HTML

Topic Wrench:

• Select Posts (delete^[2], move to, merge)
• Close Topic
• Set Topic Timer (Auto-Close Topic, Auto-Close Topic After Last Post, Auto-Bump Topic, Close Temporarily, Schedule Publishing^[3])
• Pin Topic (Pin Topic, Pin Topic Globally)
• Reset Bump Date
• Archive Topic
• Make Unlisted
• Set Slow Mode

That’s just a quick check of the menus though, so let me know if you’d like me to look anywhere else while the blog is being updated.

A couple of others:

• Global edit
• Mark solutions
• Flags take immediate effect

---

1. Though that’s TL3+ ↩︎

2. For deleting their own posts in bulk ↩︎

3. When the topic is Unlisted/PM/Private Category ↩︎

[mattdm (Matthew Miller)]

Thank you! Yeah, that’s very helpful. I see the one footnote — are there other additional TL3 or even TL2 things?

[JammyDodger]

I have started a grid. I have taken the excellent one from this post - Is there a Trust Level Permissions Table? - #10 by lionel-rowe and tried to update and condense it a little. It definitely needs another going over, but I thought I’d share now in case anyone had any notes. Any pointers on what else to include/correct? New_User? Category moderator? Plug-in section (eg Solutions)? Better grouping?

Draft Grid

Under construction!

Trust Level Grid

TL = Trust Level dependant
= Enabled by admin setting

Post Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Post Replies	10					TL
Post Topics	3					TL
Reply as Linked Topic						TL
Email-in New Topics						TL
Access Shared Drafts
Post Images	1					TL
Post Hyperlinks	2					TL
Mention users in a post	2					TL
Use @here Mention						TL
Post Attachments						TL
Create Polls						TL
Close Any Poll
Edit Post Time	24 hrs	24 hrs	30 days	30 days	no limit	TL	no limit
Edit Wikis						TL
Make their own posts into Wikis						TL
Edit all Posts
Delete Own Posts (not Topics)[1]
Delete Other User’s Posts
View Deleted Posts
Anonymous Posting						TL
Rebuild HTML						TL
Add Staff Notice
Add Staff Colour
Grant Badge
Lock Post
User Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Daily Like Limit/Multiplier	50	50	x1.5	x2	x3	TL	x3
Upload Avatar						TL
Profile Background						TL
Usercard Background						TL
Mute other users						TL
Ignore other users						TL
View New User Post Messages						TL
View Returning User Post Messages						TL
Have actual links in the ‘about me’ field of their profile						TL
Have all their links followed (automatic nofollow removed)						TL
Access a secure category only visible to users at trust level 3 and higher						TL
Have Shield Icon
Manage Users
Flagging	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Flag Posts						TL
TL3 spam flags cast on TL0 user posts immediately hide the post						TL
TL3 flags cast on TL0 user posts in sufficient diversity will auto-silence the user and hide all their posts						TL
Flagging a post immediately takes effect and hides the target post
Review Posts and Flags
Silence or Suspend Users
Communicating	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Can send Personal Messages						TL
Invite outside users to PMs making a group PM						TL
Use the: “Invite others to this topic” button for one-click onboarding of new users to participate in topics						TL
Can send personal messages to an email address						TL
Topic Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Tag a Topic						TL
Create Tags						TL
Re-categorize and rename topics						TL/Category
Split and Merge Topics
Delete Topic
Pin/unpin topic  Pin Topic  Pin Topic Globally  Make Banner					✓ ✓	✓ TL	✓ ✓ ✓
Close topics
Archive topics
Make topics Unlisted
See Unlisted Topics in Topic List
Reset topic bump date
Set Topic Timer  Auto-Close Topic  Auto-Close Topic After Last Post  Auto-Bump Topic  Close Temporarily  Schedule Publishing  Auto-Delete Topic  Auto-Delete Replies					✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓	TL TL TL TL TL TL	✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Change Timestamp
Make Personal Message/Public Topic
Moderation History
Forum Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Edit Category Descriptions
Watched Words
Change User’s Trust Level
View Logs (Staff Actions, Screened Emails, Screened IPs, Screened URLs, Search Logs)
View Dashboard (no upgrade option)
Allow moderators to manage categories and groups
Allow moderators to change post ownership
Allow moderators to view user emails
Plugins	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
Mark Solutions						TL

Changes:

• Added more abilities
• Added Category Moderator and Moderator. Held off on New_User/First_Day and Admin/Sysadmin for now.
• Started plugin section
• Added info from Comparing moderation powers
• Added trial footnote

To do:

• Check for accuracy, and see if anything is missing
• Add more plugin extra options
• Add category moderator and new_user?
• Fold in Comparing moderation powers
• Include sysadmin, admin and moderator?
• Maybe add footnote to delete topic about being possible if no replies?

[/details]

---

1. Unless topic has no replies ↩︎

[Moin]

@JammyDodger

Any pointers on what else to include/correct? New_User? Category moderator?

Maybe this table could be included

[Superceded] Moderation privileges for moderators, category moderators and TL3+ users

Different types of users have different moderation powers in Discourse. The table summarizes who can do what among the main types of power user: Trust level 3, which can be reached automatically or given manually Trust lvel 4, which can only be given manually Moderators, who are ‘staff’ Category moderators who are not staff, but have powers like moderstors but only for the specific categories they moderate Power TL3 TL4 Cat Mod Mod Recategorize topics …

And there is also Understanding user statuses, roles, and permissions.
Having at least 4 topics in 3 categories about different users and their permissions is quite confusing.

@JammyDodger

Post Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4
Delete Posts (not Topics)

Can they delete everyones posts or just their posts?

[JammyDodger]

@Moin

Can they delete everyones posts or just their posts?

Good spot. I had thought using the select option in the topic wrench allowed the TL4 to delete everyone’s, but I’d only selected my own posts. When I select another user’s the delete option disappears, so it’s the same as everyone else. I’ll clean it up.

And thanks for the links. I’ll see if I can fold them in.

[JammyDodger]

I’ve had another pass at it. Please update 'Understanding Discourse Trust Levels' — or is there a different doc? - #8 by JammyDodger

What do we reckon? Have I over-egged it?

[Canapin (Coin-coin le Canapin)]

Cool!

However, the black checkmarks are hard to distinguish on the dark theme:

Maybe replace them by ✓?

[JammyDodger]

Aah, hello dark theme, my old friend.

I’ve swopped them out. Is that better?

[Canapin (Coin-coin le Canapin)]

@Canapin

✓

Yes, way better on a dark theme, thanks. Would be (probably) even better in bold

✓ → ✓

---

Seen the result, that’s perfect

[Canapin (Coin-coin le Canapin)]

I suggest you replace “private message” by “direct message” and “PM” by “DM”.

[JammyDodger]

I’ve gone with updating the ‘Private Messages’ one to ‘Can send Personal Messages’, to mirror the current language. I don’t think they’re referred to as Direct Messages in the settings anywhere, so that change would have to be done at source.

[Canapin (Coin-coin le Canapin)]

I thought Direct message was the official name for the “Private messages”, but they seem to be called personal messages. Is that a recent change?

---

edit: oh, maybe it’s because it’s called “message direct” in French.

[justin (Justin DiRose)]

@JammyDodger this is incredible work. I’ll add this to the post soon!

[mattdm (Matthew Miller)]

@Canapin

However, the black checkmarks are hard to distinguish on the dark theme:

*cough* RFE: dark/light mode options for custom emoji

[mattdm (Matthew Miller)]

Anyway, this is amazing. Thank you @JammyDodger!

Oh! I do have one suggestion. Some of these things are changeable via settings in the admin interface. Might be nice to have those things indicated differently in the chart? That would make it easier for those of us who might have ^[1] changed some of those to make our own site-specific version.

---

1. and by “might have”, I mean “definitely have” ↩︎

[JammyDodger]

I tried to be super-swish and add a placeholder to add a domain and turn all the names into site-specific admin settings links, but it did not seem to like that. The perfect one would be dynamic to your own current settings, but unfortunately I do not know how to do that either… (open to suggestions )

But I think the gear icon could be given a column to show which are configurable. I’ll give it a whirl.

[JammyDodger]

I’ve done an excerpt as a tester. How do people feel about something like this?

Draft Grid

Under construction!

Trust Level Grid - Defaults

TL = Trust Level dependant | = Enabled by admin setting

	Post Actions	TL0	TL1	TL2	TL3	TL4	Category Moderator	Moderator
[1]	Post Replies	10					TL
[2]	Post Topics	3					TL
	Reply as Linked Topic						TL
[3]	Email-in New Topics						TL
[4]	Access Shared Drafts
[5]	Post Images	1					TL
[6]	Post Hyperlinks	2					TL
[7]	Mention users in a post	2					TL
[8]	Use @here Mention						TL
[9]	Post Attachments						TL
[10]	Create Polls						TL
	Close Any Poll
[11]	Edit Post Time	24 hrs	24 hrs	30 days	30 days	no limit	TL	no limit
[12]	Edit Wikis						TL
[13]	Make their own posts into Wikis						TL
[14]	Edit all Posts
[15]	Delete Own Posts (not Topics, unless there are no replies)
	Delete Other User’s Posts
	View Deleted Posts
[16]	Anonymous Posting						TL
	Rebuild HTML						TL
	Add Staff Notice
	Add Staff Colour
	Lock Post

---

1. max_replies_in_first_day
   newuser_max_replies_per_topic ↩︎

2. max_topics_in_first_day
   min_trust_to_create_topic ↩︎

3. email_in
   email_in_min_trust ↩︎

4. shared_drafts_category ↩︎

5. newuser_max_embedded_media ↩︎

6. newuser_max_links ↩︎

7. enable_mentions
   newuser_max_mentions_per_post
   max_mentions_per_post ↩︎

8. min_trust_level_for_here_mention ↩︎

9. new_user_max_attachments ↩︎

10. poll_minimum_trust_level_to_create ↩︎

11. min_trust_to_edit_post
    post_edit_time_limit
    tl2_post_edit_time_limit ↩︎

12. min_trust_to_edit_wiki ↩︎

13. min_trust_to_allow_self_wiki ↩︎

14. trusted_users_can_edit_others (?) ↩︎

15. max_post_deletions_per_day ↩︎

16. allow_anonymous_posting ↩︎

[mattdm (Matthew Miller)]

Yeah, that works. Clever use of footnotes!

[JammyDodger]

Excellent. I shall work through and add the rest.

I think we’ll need a pared-down version for the blog, with maybe no settings, cat mod, or mod comparison, to allow people to focus on the 5 main user trust levels, and then have a more detailed one as a #howto:faq here on Meta.

I’ll also take the chance to float the idea of a Cut-Out-And-Keep one that you can copy and paste into a Staff topic on your own forum. This one has interactive links for the admin settings:

Draft Grid

Excerpt - under construction!

## Trust Level Grid - Defaults
TL = Trust Level dependant  | :gear: = Enabled by admin setting

:gear: | [u] Post Actions [/u] | TL0 | TL1 | TL2 | TL3 | TL4 | Category<br>Moderator | Moderator
:-:|-|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| :-: | :-:
[^1] | Post Replies | 10 | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  |:white_check_mark: | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^2] | Post Topics | 3 | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | TL | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | Reply as Linked Topic | | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^3] | Email-in New Topics <sup> :gear:  | |   | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^4] | Access Shared Drafts | | | | | | | :white_check_mark: 
 [^5] | Post Images | 1 | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^6] | Post Hyperlinks | 2 | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^7] | Mention users in a post | 2 | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^8] | Use @here Mention | |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
  [^9] | Post Attachments |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark:
 [^10] | Create Polls | | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | Close Any Poll | | |||  | | :white_check_mark:  | 
 [^11] |Edit Post Time | 24<br>hrs | 24<br>hrs | 30<br>days | 30<br>days | no<br>limit | TL | no<br>limit
 [^12] |Edit Wikis | | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^13] | Make their own posts into Wikis |  |  |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
 [^14] | Edit all Posts |  |  |  |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: 
 [^15] | Delete Own Posts (not Topics, unless there are no replies) |  :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark:  |  :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | Delete Other User's Posts | |  |  |  |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | View Deleted Posts  | | | | | | :white_check_mark: |:white_check_mark: 
 [^16] |Anonymous Posting :gear:  | | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | TL | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | Rebuild HTML | |  |  |  | :white_check_mark:  | TL | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp; | Add Staff Notice |  |  |  |  | :white_check_mark:  | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: 
&emsp;  |Add Staff Colour | | | | | | |:white_check_mark: 
&emsp;  | Lock Post  | | | | | | |:white_check_mark: 

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[^4]: [shared_drafts_category](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=shared_drafts_category)<br>[shared_drafts_min_trust_level](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=shared_drafts_min_trust_level)
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[^12]: [min_trust_to_edit_wiki](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=min_trust_to_edit_wiki)
[^13]: [min_trust_to_allow_self_wiki](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=min_trust_to_allow_self_wiki)
[^14]: [trusted_users_can_edit_others](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=trusted_users_can_edit_others)
[^15]: [max_post_deletions_per_day](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=max_post_deletions_per_day)
[^16]: [allow_anonymous_posting](/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=allow_anonymous_posting)