locked topics

Ok so I have a section that I dont want people to be able to post, but they can reply to a topic..
So I went into permission>advanced
and I made it that memebers can reply
But the forum is locked so you cant post a new topic...

is this how it is suppose to be done?

If so there is just one problem... the users dont know they can reply to the topic, because when they open the topic it says locked (two buttons say locked, one for reply and one for new topic)
shouldnt one say locked and the other say reply??

however if they press one of the locked buttons it allows replying

it will always allow you to reply if you are administrator or when people have moderation powers in this forum.

but when the forum is locked, normal members can't reply. so you go to the "Forum / Management" tab in your admin panel and click on the forum you wish to edit. change the forum status field to "unlocked". When you have set the permissions correctly (unchecked the "create topic" permission), it should allow now all members to reply (and not display the "locked" icon).

I know that admin is able to write even by locked... obviously
im saying even when locked i somehow had it that when it was locked you could post a reply...
ok thanks I will try what you said!

Oh and I set up a portal page where announcements are pulled from the topics...
I have a topic that welcomes everyone to the site... but it dissapears from the portal when more topics are made... so I have to keep posting in it to make it keep going back to the top...

is there a welcome message I could make
or is there a way to make stickies appear on portal page because for now I want that topic to stay at top on portal page
thanks

anybody know how?

You can make a welcome message by creating a custom block and then add it on your portal.

...How?

Go to admin panel->modules->portal pages management and click on the structure link of the portal page. Then you will see all the elements on that page. At the very bottom there is a link that says create a custom block. Click on that and create the block. Now you can add this as a page element to your portal.

After you do what travis_cooper said, add the module you just created in the portal structure from the "Modules" menu from the "Addition/deletion of personal modules" category and then click the "Add the module button"

Thanks! It worked!!!!