Reddit-Backed Discussion Functionality Removal Plan

Overview

This document provides a comprehensive plan for removing Reddit-backed discussion, post, and comment functionality from the Open Discussions application while preserving search and podcast features.

Purpose

The Open Discussions application currently uses Reddit as a backing store for channels, posts, and comments. This plan outlines the complete removal of this functionality, including:

• Reddit integration and API connections
• Channels (discussion forums)
• Posts and comments
• User subscriptions and roles related to discussions
• Discussion-related UI components
• Discussion-related notifications and emails

PRESERVE:

• Search functionality (OpenSearch/Elasticsearch)
• Podcast and podcast episode features
• Course catalog
• User profiles (non-discussion aspects)
• Authentication system

High-Level Strategy

The removal will be executed in phases to minimize disruption:

1. Phase 1: Frontend Cleanup - Remove UI components and routes
2. Phase 2: Backend API Removal - Remove Django views and URLs
3. Phase 3: Django App Removal - Remove channels and discussions apps
4. Phase 4: Database Cleanup - Remove models and run migrations
5. Phase 5: Dependency Cleanup - Update dependent apps
6. Phase 6: Configuration Cleanup - Remove settings and environment variables
7. Phase 7: Testing & Verification - Ensure search and podcasts still work

Documentation Structure

• 01-scope-analysis.md - Detailed analysis of code to be removed
• 02-frontend-removal.md - Frontend removal instructions
• 03-backend-removal.md - Backend removal instructions
• 04-database-migration.md - Database migration plan
• 05-dependency-updates.md - Updates to dependent code
• 06-verification-plan.md - Testing and verification steps
• 07-rollback-plan.md - Rollback procedures if needed

Pre-Requisites

Before starting the removal:

1. Backup Production Data - Full database backup
2. Document Current State - Screenshots, API endpoints, feature list
3. Communication - Notify stakeholders of upcoming changes
4. Testing Environment - Ensure dev/staging environment is ready
5. Version Control - Create a feature branch for this work

Estimated Effort

• Frontend Removal: 8-12 hours
• Backend Removal: 12-16 hours
• Database Migration: 4-6 hours
• Dependency Updates: 6-8 hours
• Testing: 8-12 hours
• Total: 38-54 hours (approximately 5-7 working days)

Risk Assessment

High Risk Areas:

• Search functionality depends on POST_TYPE and COMMENT_TYPE constants
• Notifications system has dependencies on channels
• Profile views display user posts/comments
• Email templates reference channels

Mitigation:

• Thorough testing of search with preserved types
• Careful refactoring of profile views
• Update notification system to remove discussion-related notifiers
• Test all email flows

Success Criteria

The removal is complete when:

1. ✅ Application starts without errors
2. ✅ Search functionality works for courses, podcasts, profiles
3. ✅ Podcast browsing and viewing works
4. ✅ User authentication and profiles work
5. ✅ No Reddit API dependencies remain
6. ✅ All tests pass (excluding removed discussion tests)
7. ✅ No discussion-related UI elements visible
8. ✅ Database has no orphaned discussion data

Next Steps

Start with 01-scope-analysis.md to understand the full scope of changes required.