Changing the sort order of threads

[nebulous]

Forum URL: seektruth.boards.net/board/24/1-corinthians

Hello - Have I overlooked a setting that controls the sort order for how threads are displayed? Currently my threads are displaying the most recently commented at the top. However, for the purpose of my forum, that doesn't work well. Instead, my preference would be either (1) A forced sort order, where I as the administrator can manually choose the arrangement and then it would stay in that order regardless of when comments were made, or (2) Reverse chronological order based upon when the thread was created (rather than commented on).

Here's the reason - and I'm wide open to suggestions of other ways to tackle this. My forum is for Bible Study, and the threads are named after the passage of study (e.g., 1 Corinthians 2:6-16). I as the administrator am the only person who can create new threads, and only members can comment (though the world can read the forum).

Each week, I will announce the current passage the members will study together and we'll all post our studies to the thread and comment on each others' studies. W study straight through books of the Bible, from verse 1:1 of a book to its end, then move to another book.

In addition to being a forum for posting studies and discussions, the board will be a permanent reference for anyone interested in a particular passage in the Bible. The latter is why I want there to be fixed order. For instance, I do not want to end up with a list of threads like this...

1 Corinthians 2:6-16
1 Corinthians 13:8-13

1 Corinthians 1:17-25

... simply because that s the order in which someone last commented. That is what is currently happening. What I need is the section we are currently studying to be at the top and the rest to be in order below it.

If all of the above makes sense, how can you advise I control the order of the threads?

[BTW, I have not prommoted the board. I and one other person have been working on getting it ready when we have a few minutes here and there, but we're close to going live. We already have this forum elsewhere and the members are just waiting to move over to here once we are ready.]

Thank you!

jb

[Craig]

Hi

Unfortunately, there is not a setting for ordering the topics. Hopefully this is something which is added in the forthcoming version.

The best you can do now is utilise the sticky option. If you sticky all topics in the reverse order you want them, then they should then show in the order you want them to be. So if you have threads A, B and C, then you would need to sticky C first, then B and then A and they should then be listed:

A
B
C

The newest sticky always goes to the top, which is why you need to sticky them in reverse order.

To sticky a topic, go into the topic and then in the Actions drop down menu at the top, select Moderate > Sticky.

[Scott]

nebulous,
If you have the threads posted on the board in the order you want them to be, and then set them all to enable falling, any posting to the threads should not change their order.

[nebulous]

You guys are both awesome. I would additionally like a future for the admin to be able to simply drag threads to re-order them.

For now, it sounds like Craig's suggestion will work well for me.

Scott - I'm curious, thought - about "enable falling." I haven't come across that setting. What does it do, and where do I find it?

Thanks again!

jb

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

nebulous ~

Simply highlight the thread and tick the box that appears at the beginning of the thread title. Then go to the "Actions" dropdown. Click on "Moderate". Another box will appear with "enable falling" being the last option in that box.

When you choose that option, the thread will keep falling down the list, even should a poster reply to it.

[Craig]

There is a board setting for falling too. If you go into your Categories and Boards under the Structure tab in your admin area, and then double click the board you wish to edit. This will bring up it's settings window. On there, click he Settings tab and you should see an option 'Default to Falling'. This is best if the threads haven't been created already, although you should be able to use the 'bump' option, from within the thread's actions menu, to bump the threads into the order you want them.

[nebulous]

I'll play with Sticky and Falling. Both sound like legit options for solving my problem. I had not yet noticed the checkbox associated with Thread and the admin options it provides.

I appreciate the help!

[nebulous]

I was able to use "sticky" to arrange the threads/topics perfectly. Now my topics under "1 Corinthians" are in descending order as I want them.

So I have a related but different need and am wondering if you all have a creative way of dealing with it. Our group studies through individual books of the Bible from chapter 1 verse 1 of a book to its end, and the method above works well to arrange section divisions since the chapter/verse numbering will always be sequential.

However, we do not necessarily study the Bible books in order (in other words, if you're familiar with the Bible's arrangement, we don't start at Genesis and go through each book to Revelation).

So in my site at seektruth.boards.net I have a Category called "Bible Study" and within it I currently have a Board called "1 Corinthians." When we begin a new study, it might be, say Matthew - which comes before 1 Corinthians - and then later, say, Romans - which comes between those two.

I'm assuming the Boards will adopt an order that is either based upon when they were created or alphabetical.

What I want is for them to be arranged in the order in which they appear in the Bible, which would no doubt require manual ordering of them. Is there a creative way I could force the order of the Boards?

jb

[Brian]

The order of your boards is determined by the order you specify in Structure > Categories & Boards. Unlike threads, boards don't reorder themselves automatically.

[nebulous]

I answered my own question - sorry for the extra post. I see now that I can manually arrange them in the Categories and Boards admin control panel. Excellent. I would love to be able to arrange threads in a likewise manner, but I can do what I need with stickies.

[nebulous]

Thanks Brian. I was reporting my self-discovery when you were replying (very quickly!). Much appreciated