Threads and Replies
Threads are the primary unit of community discussion. Each thread has a type (Discussion, Question, or Announcement), supports Markdown formatting, and maintains an edit history so changes are transparent. Replies are threaded — users can reply to a specific post within a thread.
Thread Types
| Type | Use | Accepted Answer? | Replies Allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion | General conversation, tips, feedback, feature requests | No | Yes |
| Question | Seeking a specific answer to a technical or usage question | Yes — one reply can be marked accepted | Yes |
| Announcement | Official notice from publisher or admin | No | Yes (read-only for announcements themselves; replies enabled) |
Creating a Thread
Markdown Support
Thread bodies and replies support a standard Markdown subset:
| Element | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Bold | **bold text** |
| Italic | *italic text* |
| Inline code | `code` |
| Code block | Triple backtick with optional language tag |
| Bulleted list | Lines starting with - or * |
| Numbered list | Lines starting with 1. |
| Links | [text](url) |
| Blockquote | Lines starting with > |
| Heading | ## Heading text (H2 and H3 only within posts) |
Threaded Replies
Replies can be posted to the top-level thread or directly to another reply (one level of nesting). This allows focused sub-conversations within a thread without losing context. Deeply nested replies (beyond one level) are displayed as flat replies at the top level to prevent unwieldy threading.
Edit History
All edits to threads and replies are tracked. When a post is edited:
- An "Edited" timestamp appears below the post
- Clicking "Edited" reveals a full version history showing what changed between each edit
- Admins can see the complete edit history regardless of whether the user set the post to "hide edit history"
- Authors can edit their own posts at any time; replies cannot be edited by others (except admins for moderation)
Thread Lifecycle
| State | What It Means | Who Can Change It |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Active — new replies can be posted | Default state |
| Locked | No new replies — thread is preserved but closed | Package publisher (in their forum), Admin (any thread) |
| Resolved | Q&A thread where an accepted answer has been marked — still open for new replies | Automatic when accepted answer is marked |
| Pinned | Appears at the top of the section listing regardless of activity date | Package publisher (in their forum, up to 3), Admin (any section) |
Type @username in a reply to mention another user. The mentioned user receives an immediate in-platform notification and email (if notification preferences are set). Publisher usernames can be mentioned in package forum discussions to draw the publisher's attention to a question.