Overview
You may or may not be able to view or post to a discussion topic for some common reasons:
- Your instructor requires that you first start a new thread in the topic before you can read and reply to other threads by your classmates.
- The dates set for the discussion availability will limit when you can view the discussion and post.
- Your instructor locked a discussion forum or topic to prevent new posts from being created, thus making the conversation "read only."
Here's Why
You Must Post First
When accessing a discussion from the Content Topics, you may see this alert: You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads. This means that you cannot see or reply to your classmates' or instructor's posts until you first submit your post.
![](https://oaklandcc.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=b3809adc-c624-477e-97bd-3d0360f2fd8f.jpg)
Note: When your instructor selects this setting for a Discussion, "Must post first" is displayed on the Discussions List page under the name of the topic.
Available Dates to View and Post
When accessing a discussion, the dates of availability for a discussion topic (e.g. Week One - Chapter One Discussion) are listed for access when you may view or post (e.g. Starts Jun 13, 2018 3:00 PM Ends Jun 21, 2018 11:59 PM).
![](https://oaklandcc.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=5a36ad48-7ca5-46c4-b4ac-4648ff375bdb.jpg)
Locked Topics
When accessing a discussion from the Discussions List page, if the Discussion Topic is Locked, no new posts may be created, thus making the conversation "read only."
![](https://oaklandcc.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=d080a02d-341f-4c01-8faa-a3c608088e6f.jpg)
Note: Discussions might also be unlocked during a specific time range e.g. (Unlocked, Wednesday, June 13, 2018 3:00 PM EDT - Thursday, June 21, 2018 11:59 PM EDT). This will give you the opportunity to post within the displayed time range.