Discussions

Discussions provide structured team communication within your project. Create channels for different topics, post messages, and maintain threaded conversations. Unlike scattered chat apps, discussions live alongside your work, making context-relevant communication natural.

The Problem This Solves

Team communication fragments across tools. Slack for chat, email for decisions, comments on tasks for specifics. Context gets lost when conversations happen separate from work. Searching for "why did we decide that?" becomes archaeology.

Discussions keep project communication in project context. Technical debates, architecture decisions, and team coordination happen where the work lives. History is searchable. Context is preserved.

What You Are Looking At

The Discussions interface uses a three-column layout:

Left Sidebar: List of discussion channels with search filter. Shows channel names and activity indicators.

Center Area: Message thread for selected channel. Chronological messages with author info, timestamps, and reply capabilities.

Right Sidebar: Channel information including description, stats (message count, creation date), and member list.

Channels

What Is a Channel

A channel is a dedicated conversation space for a specific topic:

#architecture - Technical design discussions
#sprint-23 - Current sprint coordination
#client-feedback - External stakeholder input
#random - Off-topic team bonding

Creating Channels

Click "Start Discussion" in right sidebar
Enter channel name and description
Select initial members (optional)
Click Create

New channel appears in sidebar, ready for messages.

Channel Properties

Each channel has:

Name: Identifies the channel (typically with # prefix)
Description: Explains channel purpose
Members: Who participates
Message Count: Total messages posted
Created Date: When channel was started

Finding Channels

Use the search/filter in the left sidebar:

Type channel name or keyword
List filters to matching channels
Click to select

Messages

Posting Messages

Select a channel
Type in message input at bottom
Press Enter or click Send

Messages appear immediately, visible to all channel members.

Message Components

Each message shows:

Author: Avatar and name
Timestamp: When posted (hover for exact time)
Content: Message text
Actions: Reply, delete (if permitted)

Message Formatting

Depending on configuration, messages may support:

Basic text
Line breaks (Shift+Enter)
Links (auto-detected)
Mentions (@username)

Deleting Messages

To remove a message:

Hover over your message
Click delete icon
Confirm deletion

Only message authors and managers can delete messages.

Channel Management

Channel Settings

Access settings via channel header:

Edit name and description
Manage members
Delete channel

Deleting Channels

Channel deletion removes all messages permanently:

Open channel settings
Click Delete Channel
Confirm deletion

Warning: This action cannot be undone.

Channel Members

Members list shows who can participate:

Channel creator auto-included
Add members during creation
Members can be added later

Real-Time Features

Live Updates

Messages appear in real-time:

No refresh needed
New messages animate in
Notification indicators on unread

Typing Indicators

When someone is typing:

"[Name] is typing..." appears
Multiple users show together
Disappears when done

Presence

Member avatars may indicate online status:

Online: Green indicator
Away: Yellow indicator
Offline: No indicator

Switching Channels

Click any channel in sidebar to switch. Current channel highlights in the list.

Scroll Position

Within a channel:

Scroll up to see history
New messages appear at bottom
"Load more" for very long histories

Empty State

Channels with no messages show prompt to start the conversation.

Common Patterns

Topic Channels

Create channels per topic:

#architecture
#frontend
#backend
#devops
#design

Time-bound Channels

Channels for temporary concerns:

#sprint-23-planning
#incident-2024-01-15
#q4-launch

Team Channels

Per-team coordination:

#team-alpha
#team-beta
#contractors

Integration Channels

For automated notifications:

#deployments
#alerts
#ci-status

Best Practices

Clear Channel Names

Names should be self-explanatory:

Good: #api-v2-design
Poor: #stuff, #misc

Write Descriptions

Every channel should have description explaining:

What belongs here
When to use it
Related resources

Keep Topics Focused

When discussion drifts:

Suggest new channel for tangent
Link to relevant channel
Keep original channel on-topic

Archive Old Channels

When channels become inactive:

Consider archiving
Preserves history
Cleans up sidebar

Permissions

Discussion access follows project permissions:

Role	View	Post	Create Channels	Delete
Agency Owner	✓	✓	✓	All
Manager	✓	✓	✓	Own
Developer	✓	✓	✓	Own
Client	If enabled	If enabled	✗	✗

Search

Finding Messages

Search within discussions:

Use search in left sidebar (filters channels)
Full-text search across messages (if enabled)
Scroll history within channel

Finding Decisions

For important decisions:

Consider documenting in Wiki
Reference wiki page from discussion
Keep discussions for conversation, wiki for conclusions

vs. Task Comments

Use the right tool:

Discussions for:

Broad team topics
Multi-person debates
Ongoing coordination
Topic-specific channels

Task Comments for:

Specific to one task
Implementation details
Questions about requirements
Task-scoped updates

Mobile Considerations

Discussions work on mobile devices:

Responsive layout
Sidebar collapses
Touch-friendly interface
Message composition works

For extended discussions, desktop may be more comfortable.

Troubleshooting

Messages not appearing:

Check internet connection
Refresh the page
Verify channel membership

Cannot create channel:

Check permissions
Verify channel name is unique
Ensure project access

Cannot delete message:

Only own messages deletable
Managers can delete any
Very old messages may be locked

Typing indicator stuck:

Refresh the page
Indicator should clear
Known occasional glitch

Channel missing from list:

Check search filter
May be archived
Verify membership

How to Report a Problem or Request a Feature

Your feedback matters. Here is how to share it:

If discussions behave unexpectedly or you need additional features, we want to know.

In the Sidebar, click on Support Tickets and open a ticket for the problem. Everything is interactive and fast through the GitScrum Studio platform.