Permissions in Discussion Board Plus

Permissions in Discussion Board Plus

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Discussion Board Plus uses the built-in SharePoint permissions to determine what actions a user can perform in a Discussion Board Plus list. We’ve divided up the sections of Discussion Board Plus to provide you a helpful way to understand the variations in permissions and settings for the tool.

General Permissions

The table below describes the permission or permission level required to perform each action.

Discussion Board Plus Action
Manage Lists
Full Control
Topic Creator1
Site Collection Administrator2
Verify Answer
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Move Topic
Yes
Yes
Yes*
Yes
Suggest as Answer
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mark as Not Answer
Yes**
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lock/Unlock Topic
Yes
Yes
Yes*
Yes
Mark/Unmark Topic as Sticky
Yes
Yes
Yes*
Yes
Access Forum Settings
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Edit/Reply
No
Yes
Yes***
Yes
After topic is locked:
Edit/Reply/Suggest or Verify Answer/
Mark as Not Answer
No
No
No
Yes
After topic is locked:
Mark or Unmark as Sticky/Unlock Topic
Yes
Yes
Yes*
Yes

1The user who created the topic (does not apply to anonymous users).
2SharePoint site collection administrators.
*Yes, if the creator has the Manage Lists permission, Full Control permission level, or is a site collection administrator.
**Yes, if the user suggested or verified the answer originally.
***Yes, if the user has the Edit Items permission.

To set up your own SharePoint permission levels to use with Discussion Board Plus, refer to the following information from Microsoft: Edit, create, and delete permission levels.

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Private Topic Permissions

Discussion Board Plus Action
Recipient/ Topic Owner
Contribute
Design
Full Control
Site Collection Administrator
System Account
Create Topic
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Share With
Yes*
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Access Topic
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Get Alert Notification
Yes
No
No
No
No
No

*Yes, if the user has Full Control permission level.
**Yes, alert sent to the Recipients only.

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Private Reply Permissions

Discussion Board Plus Action
Recipient
Contribute
Design
Full Control
Site Collection Administrator
System Account
Create Reply
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Access Reply
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Get Alert Notification
Yes
No
No
No
No
No

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Move Topic Permissions

Discussion Board Plus Action
Source List
Target List
Allow Move Topic?
If Topic in List:
Is a Locked Topic?
No
Yes
Yes
No
Is a Sticky Topic?
No
Yes
Yes
No
Is a Private Topic?
No
Yes
Yes
No
Contains a Private Reply?
No
Yes
Yes
No
Inherits List Permissions from Parent?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Inherits Site Permissions from Parent?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No

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Forum Settings for Discussion Board Plus List

Forum Settings
Source List
Target List
Allow Move Topic?
Verify Answer
Enabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Disabled
Yes
Enabled
Disabled
No
Suggest as Answer
Enabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Disabled
Yes
Enabled
Disabled
No
Tagging
Enabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Disabled
Yes
Enabled
Disabled
No
Like
Enabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Enabled
Yes
Disabled
Disabled
Yes
Enabled
Disabled
No

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Permissions for Forum Actions

Forums use the general permissions by default. And in addition to the permissions provided by Discussion Board Plus, please note the following for Community Central forums:

  • Administrators and Moderators can add, update or delete any forum topic or post.
  • Members can add topics and posts, but can only edit or delete their own topics/posts.
  • If a read-only account is configured in the Forum Control Panel, anonymous users can read topics and posts but cannot add new topics or posts.

Permissions for Blog Actions

Community Central uses the default SharePoint settings to determine who can perform actions in a blog site. For a list of default permissions for basic blog actions, see the table below. For information about customizing blog site permissions, see the following article:

Configure permissions and settings for a blog (From office.microsoft.com)

Blog Action
Administrators
Moderators
Members
Visitors
Anonymous
Users
Read Blog Posts and Comments
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Create Blog Posts
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Edit Blog Posts
Yes
Yes
Yes*
No
No
Add Comments
Yes
Yes
Yes
No1.
No1.
Edit Comments
Yes
No
Yes*
No
No
Approve Blog Posts and Comments
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
View Draft Posts and Pending Comments
Yes
Yes
**
No
No
Manage Blog Categories
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

* Members can edit any blog post or comment by default (not just their own post/comment).

1. Allow visitors and anonymous users to add comments by modifying list permissions.

** Members can view their own draft posts and comments pending approval, but not posts/comments created by other Members.

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Configuring Anonymous Access

By default, anonymous access is not enabled in SharePoint 2013. SharePoint administrators may want to enable anonymous users to have access to Community Central content without having to provide authentication credentials. Anonymous access is permitted or denied based on the permissions for the site. Additional configuration is needed for anonymous users to access Community Central content.

For example:

  • Viewing locked topics – In order for anonymous users to view locked topics in forums, you must configure a read-only forum access account in each forum site’s Forum Control Panel. All other forum content is visible if the site is configured to allow anonymous access.
  • Viewing avatars – In order for anonymous users to be able to see avatars (the SharePoint user profile picture), additional configuration steps are needed. For instructions, see this blog.
  • Adding blog comments – In order for anonymous users to add blog comments, the administrator must modify the list permissions for the Comments list in each blog site. For instructions, see this blog.

For more information about configuring SharePoint for anonymous access, see:

  • Using ideas from this article from Microsoft, decide whether to allow access for anonymous users.
  • This article from Microsoft covers configuring anonymous access.
  • For SharePoint 2010-specific configuration, see this blog.

Alternatively, you can configure SharePoint for anonymous access for forms-based authentication where the accounts can be created from the database. For more information on configuring anonymous users for forms-based authentication, see:

See also:

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Overview of the Discussion Board Plus Configuration Toolpane

Overview of the Discussion Board Plus Configuration Toolpane

There are several areas that need to be configured before you open Discussion Board Plus to your users. Areas that need configuration are illustrated in the topics linked below.

Getting Started

One of the first things you need to consider after creating a new Discussion Board Plus is who will have permissions to the boards and forums.

Forum Moderation Settings

Moderating forums includes locking topics and marking topics as “sticky” so they float to the top of a list of topics in a forum. You can also control whether or not topics can be moved around from one forum to another.
ModSetting.png

Post Settings

You have a variety of choices as to how posts are configured.
postsettings.png

Message Pane Layout Settings

This is one setting that controls whether the message window pane sits on the left or right of a forum.
MsgPane.png

Private Discussion Settings

Whether or not you want to enable private topics and/or private replies is set within this section.
PrivateDiscSettings.png

Like Settings

Social media today is liked and you can enable your board to use the Like feature.
LikeSettings.png

Other Configuration Topics

Lastly, there are a few other options that you can configure that can enhance the experience for your users.

Migrating a SharePoint Discussion Board to Discussion Board Plus

Migrating a SharePoint Discussion Board to Discussion Board Plus

MTicon.pngYou can migrate existing SharePoint Discussion Board lists to Discussion Board Plus using the Discussion Board Plus Tool, included with the Discussion Board Plus Setup program. The Migration Tool allows you to migrate all existing discussion board topics and posts to a Discussion Board Plus list so you can take advantage of features like Sticky, Lock Topic, Suggest as Answer and Verify Answer.

There are three migration options available in the Discussion Board Plus Migration Tool. Select a migration function, complete the required information, and click Run. The SharePoint Discussion Board list will be migrated to the target Discussion Board Plus list.

For more details about each of the migration options, click an option in the list below.

The Migration Tool has the following features and limitations:

  • All discussion board topics and posts are migrated.
  • Attachments to posts are migrated.
  • Existing SharePoint alerts can be migrated.
  • Images in existing SharePoint Discussion Board list posts will be visible in the new Discussion Board Plus list in most cases:
    • If the image is a link to an external URL and the URL is reachable from the source and target list, the image will be visible.
    • If the image is in a SharePoint Picture Library and was inserted using the Insert Picture function, the image will be visible (the image link path is relative the root of the site collection).
    • If the image link was inserted manually and the image source is an absolute path or is a relative path that is the same in relation to both the source and target lists, the image will be visible.
    • If the image link was inserted manually and is a relative path that is not valid in the target list, the image will not be visible.
  • SharePoint User and Group permissions from the source site are copied to the target site (only applicable if the source or target site does not inherit permissions).
  • The source and target lists must be in the same site collection.
  • The Migration Tool migrates one list at a time.

Migrate All (Export and Import)

Migrate All (Export and Import)

Migration Tool Overview

The All function in the Migration Tool exports existing SharePoint Discussion Board data and then imports it into a Discussion Board Plus list.

This option is appropriate for most migration scenarios.

To perform an export and import using the All function:

Step Action Result
1. In the Discussion Board Plus Migration Tool, select the All function. MigrationTool.png
2. File Location: Enter the location where data and log files should be saved. If you want the Migration Tool to delete the data file after the migration is complete, check the option Delete the data folder after migration.
3. Source Site URL: Enter the URL for the site where the existing SharePoint Discussion Board list is located.
4. Source Discussion Board: Enter the list name of the SharePoint Discussion Board list that contains the data you want to migrate.
5. Exclude Dependencies: Excludes export of item dependencies such as images, master pages and page layouts. These items can sometimes cause problems during import and do not need to be imported if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site. Use this option if previous import attempts have failed, and only if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site.
6. Target Site URL: Enter the URL for the site where the target Discussion Board Plus list is (or will be) located.
7. Target Discussion Board: Enter the list name of the Discussion Board Plus list you want to migrate data to. If the Discussion Board Plus list does not yet exist in the target site, the Migration Tool will create it.
8.

Copy Alerts: If you want to copy SharePoint alerts from the SharePoint Discussion Board list to the Discussion Board Plus list, check the Copy Alerts option.

Icon-Warning WARNING Use this option with caution. Users who have alerts configured on the old discussion board will get new alerts when posts are copied to the new discussion board. SharePoint treats the new copy of the discussion board posts as “changed” or “new”. For large discussion boards, this could generate hundreds or thousands of alert e-mails.

9. Ignore Web Parts: Excludes the import of web parts associated with list forms. Importing these web parts can sometimes cause problems during import and is not required when the source and target discussion boards are on the same site. Use this option if previous import attempts have failed, and only if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site.

Message Pane Layout

Message Pane Layout

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These settings let you configure the default Layout displayed in Discussion Board Plus list views.

Right Layout
LayoutRight.pngWhen the Right layout radio button is selected, the message container is displayed on the right of the user information as shown here.

Bottom Layout
LayoutBottom.pngWhen you select this option, the message container is displayed below the user information.

NOTE: Message Pane Layout settings available in SharePoint 2010 only at this time.

Import SharePoint Discussion Board list data

Import SharePoint Discussion Board list data

Migration Tool Overview

The All function in the Migration Tool exports existing SharePoint Discussion Board data and then imports it into a Discussion Board Plus list.

This option is appropriate for most migration scenarios.

To perform an export and import using the All function:

Step Action Result
1. In the Discussion Board Plus Migration Tool, select the Import Only function. ImportOnly.png
2.

File Location: Enter the location where the .CMP data file is saved. The Migration Tool will also log import results to a file in this location.

NOTE: If you want the Migration Tool to delete the data file after the migration is complete, check the option Delete the data folder after migration.

3. Source Site URL: Enter the URL for the site where the existing SharePoint Discussion Board list is located.
4.

Source Discussion Board: Enter the list name of the SharePoint Discussion Board list that contains the data you want to migrate.

Exclude Dependencies: Excludes export of item dependencies such as images, master pages and page layouts. These items can sometimes cause problems during import and do not need to be imported if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site. Use this option if previous import attempts have failed, and only if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site.

5. Target Site URL: Enter the URL for the site where the target Discussion Board Plus list is (or will be) located.
6. Target Discussion Board: Enter the list name of the Discussion Board Plus list you want to migrate data to. If the Discussion Board Plus list does not yet exist in the target site, the Migration Tool will create it.
7.

Copy Alerts: If you want to copy SharePoint alerts from the SharePoint Discussion Board list to the Discussion Board Plus list, check the Copy Alerts option.

Icon-Warning WARNING Use this option with caution. Users who have alerts configured on the old discussion board will get new alerts when posts are copied to the new discussion board. SharePoint treats the new copy of the discussion board posts as “changed” or “new”. For large discussion boards, this could generate hundreds or thousands of alert e-mails.

8. Ignore Web Parts: Excludes the import of Web Parts associated with list forms. Importing these Web Parts can sometimes cause problems during import and is not required when the source and target discussion boards are on the same site. Use this option if previous import attempts have failed, and only if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site.
9. After completing all import settings, click Run to begin the import.
10.

The migration tool will import data from the .CMP file created from the existing SharePoint Discussion Board list to the target Discussion Board Plus list. SharePoint Alerts are also copied if the Copy Alerts option was checked. Migration results are displayed in the Migration Tool status window and are also logged to a file in the folder you specified in the File Location setting.

NOTE: The amount of time the import takes will depend on the amount of data being imported.

Export SharePoint Discussion Board list data

Export SharePoint Discussion Board list data

Migration Tool Overview

The Export Only option will export SharePoint Discussion Board list data to a .CMP file. This file can later be imported using the Import Only function. You may want to use this option if you your SharePoint Discussion Board list is large and you want to split the export and import functions.

To export SharePoint Discussion Board list data using the Export Only function:

Step Action Result
1. In the Discussion Board Plus Migration Tool, select the Export Only function. ExportMigrTool.png
2. File Location: Enter the location where data and log files should be saved.
3. Source Site URL: Enter the URL for the site where the existing SharePoint Discussion Board list is located.
4. Source Discussion Board: Enter the list name of the SharePoint Discussion Board list that contains the data you want to export.
5. Exclude Dependencies: Excludes export of item dependencies such as images, master pages and page layouts. These items can sometimes cause problems during import and do not need to be imported if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site. Use this option if previous import attempts have failed, and only if the source and target discussion boards are on the same site.
6. After completing all export settings, click Run to begin the export.
7.

The migration tool will export all data from the existing SharePoint Discussion Board list and save it to a .CMP file in the folder you specified in the File Location setting in Step 2.

Export results are displayed in the Migration Tool status window and are also logged to a file in the folder in the File Location setting.

NOTE: The amount of time the export takes will depend on the amount of data being exported.

Enabling Additional Video Options

Enabling Additional Video Options

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Discussion Board Plus allows users to insert video into threads using the From Embed Video option. In addition, if you install Video Library (sold separately) and enable Bamboo Video Feature for Discussion Board Plus, three other options to insert video become available to users:

  • Selecting a video from your Video Library
  • Uploading a video from your computer
  • Linking a video from another page

BeforeAfter.png

You must perform two steps before you can use the three additional video options in Discussion Board Plus threads:

Step Action Result
1. Activate the Bamboo Media Upload feature, which allows authors to insert and play videos in discussion board posts. Activate.png
Find this option in the Manage site features in the Site Actions section of your site.
2. Verify Video Library is installed and activated in the same site collection as Discussion Board Plus. Follow the Video Library Installation instructions to install and Activation instructions to activate Video Library.

Enable Tagging

Enable Tagging

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PostSettings.pngBy default, Tagging is not enabled. When you check this box in the configuration tool pane, users with the required permissions can apply Tags when creating new topics.

Tag.pngUsers see a text box on screen where they can type in tags for this topic. When tagging is enabled, users can search for content that has that tag.

What is different about using the Tags & Notes function from SharePoint out of the box versus Bamboo’s tagging function?TagsNotes.png
A couple of key differences is when a user is writing a new topic or editing a topic, there is no access to tag the topic while writing it. You have to completely finish editing and then check on the topic in order to tag it. Tags work in a similar way although Bamboo tags do not appear in news feeds or work across multiple sites.

NOTE: When this feature is disabled, the Tags option is not visible to a user when creating a New Item.

Enable Private Settings

Enable Private Settings

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PrivateDiscSettings.pngPrivate Discussion Settings controls whether the Private Topic and Private Reply features are enabled.

Enable Private Topic

  • When Private Topic is enabled, users with the required permissions can create and share a private topic with a specific user or groups.

  • When this feature is disabled, the Private Topic and Share With options are not available to users.

Enable Private Reply

  • When Private Reply is enabled, users with the required permissions can post a private message directly to the recipient of the reply.

  • When this feature is disabled, the Private Reply option is not visible to users when replying.

Enable Move Topic between Discussion Board Plus lists

Enable Move Topic between Discussion Board Plus lists

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Move.png When Move Topic is enabled, users with the required permissions can move one Discussion Board Plus topic to a different Discussion Board Plus list.

Topics can be moved using the Move To button.You will find this button in the List Tools > Items ribbon of the Discussion Board Plus list.

Or you can also find the function in the item drop-down menu for a topic.

When this feature is disabled, the Move To option is not available to users.

ModSetting.pngBy default this feature is not enabled. Should you prefer to allow users to move topics, go to the Moderation settings within the Forum Settings option in the ribbon and check the Enable Move Topic option.

NOTE: Users can move topics only between Discussion Board Plus lists!

  • Users cannot move topics between SharePoint out-of-the-box discussion board lists.
  • Users cannot move a topic from a SharePoint out-of-the-box discussion board list to a Discussion Board Plus list.
  • Users cannot move from Discussion Board Plus lists to SharePoint out-of-the-box discussion board lists.

Enable Like Topic or Reply

Enable Like Topic or Reply

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LikeSettings.pngLike Discussion Settings controls whether the Like Topic or Reply feature is enabled.

Enable Like Topic or Reply

  • When Like is enabled, users can like and unlike topics and replies.

  • When this feature is disabled, the Like option is not available to users.

Enable Emoji

Enable Emoji

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enableemoji.pngDiscussion Board Plus supports emoji for discussion topics and replies.

By default, emoji are not enabled. Check the Enable Emoji box in the configuration tool pane to allow users to post topics and replies by either using the emoji picker control or by typing an emoji command into the body field.

For a full list of emoji commands, click here.

addemoji-a.png

addemoji-1.png

NOTE: Emoji are not visible in the Forum and Management views.

Create a New Discussion Board Plus List

Create a New Discussion Board Plus List

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Return to Configuration Overview

After Discussion Board Plus is installed, a new application called Discussion Board Plus is added to the SharePoint Site Contents. Users with rights to add applications can create a new Discussion Board Plus list.

NOTE: If you do not see Discussion Board Plus in any category in the Create window, verify that the Bamboo Discussion Board Plus for SharePoint site collection feature is activated.

SharePoint 2010

You have two ways to create content:

  1. From the Quick Launch menu
  2. From the More Options in the Site Actions menu

Both methods end up with the same result.

  1. From the Quick Launch menu choose View All Site Content
CreateMenu.png
  1. Click the More Options in the Site Actions menu.
MoreOptions.png
Using either method in the Create screen, click the Collaboration filter and select Discussion Board Plus.

sa75creating.png

NOTE: If you do not see the Discussion Board Plus among the available applications, verify that the Bamboo Discussion Board Plus site collection feature is activated.

Give the discussion board list a name.
To set lists options, such as a description or navigation settings, click the More Options button and make your selections.
SA75_2010_NewDiscBoard.jpg

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SharePoint 2013

Click Site Contents from the Gear icon menu in the upper right of your site. SiteContents.png
Click the add an app icon and select Discussion Board Plus in the list of apps

DBcreate.png

NOTE: If you do not see the Discussion Board Plus among the available applications, verify that the Bamboo Discussion Board Plus for SharePoint site collection feature is activated.

Give the discussion board list a name in the following pop-up window displayed below and click the Create button. AddDBP.png

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Configure List Search Simple for Discussion Board Plus

Configure List Search Simple for Discussion Board Plus

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LSSWPS.pngWhen you install Discussion Board Plus for SharePoint, List Search Simple is also installed. List Search Simple lets you configure a search page for your Discussion Board Plus list so users can search discussion board posts for relevant content. The search page is not created automatically. Follow these instructions to add the web part to a page and modify the properties to configure the web part to search Discussion Board Plus.

Click the List Search Simple Web Part Settings button to display the Web Part Settings page.

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: You must disable pop-up blockers for the site to display the Web Part Settings.

Step Action Result
1. In the List Search Simple Web Part Settings page, click the Search Criteria Configuration tab.
LSSSCC.png
2. In the Enter a SharePoint site URL box, type the path to the SharePoint site that contains the Discussion Board Plus list you want to search.

SA75_ListSearchSelectDBPList.png

NOTE: The Discussion Board Plus list can reside in the same site, a different site, or a site in another site collection, as long as it is in the same Web application. Site URLs can be absolute (http://servername/site) or relative (./site). Bamboo recommends using a relative URL if the Web application has multiple access points using Alternative Access Mappings (AAM) or if the Web Part will be saved as part of a site template.

In the Select a list or library drop-down list, select the Discussion Board Plus list you want to search.

4. In the Search Columns section, select the following columns and click the > button to move them to the Selected Columns list.

SearchCol.png
Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple columns. To reorder how the columns are displayed in the List Search Simple Web Part search page, click on a column name and click the up or down arrow. A suggested order is included in the list below.

  • Subject
  • Body
  • Created By
  • Rating Column (if a Bamboo Rating column was added to the Discussion Board Plus list)
  • Is Sticky
  • Mark as Answer
  • Tags (if Tagging was enabled in the Forum Settings)
  • Suggest as Answer
5. Review the remaining settings in the Search Criteria Configuration tab.
SA75_OtherListSearchConfigOptions.jpg
6. Click the Search Results Configuration tab. The Search Results Display settings are preconfigured for optimal performance with Discussion Board Plus lists and cannot be changed. Review the Search Result Options and make any changes to options available when viewing search results.

SA75_OtherSearchResultsConfigOptions.jpg

When you have reviewed all settings, click Save & Close in the List Search Simple Web Part Settings page. Click OK in the Web Part tool pane.

List Search Simple is now configured and ready to search the Discussion Board Plus list. For more information about each List Search Simple configuration setting, review the List Search Simple Configuration Tool Pane Overview.

Automatically Subscribe Authors to Email Alerts

Automatically Subscribe Authors to Email Alerts

Return to Post Settings

EnableAutoEmail.pngEnabling Automatically Subscribe Authors to Email Alerts allows users to receive email notifications each time there is activity in a discussion thread. Users can also request that notifications are sent immediately after new posts, or in a scheduled summary email.

To enable this option, you must perform two steps: enable the feature in the forum settings and configure the outgoing email settings.

1. Enable the Auto Subscribe Feature in Forum Settings

  1. Click the Forum Settings icon on the List tab of the ribbon.

  2. Select the checkbox to enable “Automatically subscribe authors to email alerts on their topics” to send email alerts to the associated author address.

2. Configuring Outgoing Email Settings

From the Central Administration > Site Settings > Configure email settings page, enter the required email settings:

  • Outbound SMTP server
  • From address
  • Reply-to address
  • Character set

NOTE: For detailed instructions on configuring email settings go to this Microsoft TechNet article.