diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
index 2811b0a029..fd3458bfd0 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@ def get_discussion_category_map(course):
         initialize_discussion_info(course)
     return _DISCUSSIONINFO['category_map']
 
+def sort_map_entries(category_map):
+    things = []
+    for title, entry in category_map["entries"].items():
+        things.append((title, entry))
+    for title, category in category_map["subcategories"].items():
+        things.append((title, category))
+        sort_map_entries(category_map["subcategories"][title])
+    category_map["children"] = [x[0] for x in sorted(things, key=lambda x: x[1]["sort_key"])]
+
 def initialize_discussion_info(course):
 
     global _DISCUSSIONINFO
@@ -77,7 +86,9 @@ def initialize_discussion_info(course):
     all_modules = get_full_modules()[course_id]
 
     discussion_id_map = {}
+
     unexpanded_category_map = defaultdict(list)
+
     for location, module in all_modules.items():
         if location.category == 'discussion':
             id = module.metadata['id']
@@ -109,14 +120,10 @@ def initialize_discussion_info(course):
             node[level]["entries"][entry["title"]] = {"id": entry["id"], 
                                                       "sort_key": entry["sort_key"]}
 
-    def sort_map_entries(map):
-        things = []
-        for title, entry in map["entries"].items():
-            things.append((title, entry))
-        for title, category in map["subcategories"].items():
-            things.append((title, category))
-            sort_map_entries(map["subcategories"][title])
-        map["children"] = [x[0] for x in sorted(things, key=lambda x: x[1]["sort_key"])]
+    for topic, entry in course.metadata['discussion_topics'].items():
+        category_map['entries'][topic] = {"id": entry["id"],
+                                          "sort_key": entry.get("sort_key", topic)}
+
 
     sort_map_entries(category_map)
     #for level in category_map["subcategories"].values():
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/new_post_view.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/new_post_view.coffee
index bc30548f9f..24210f13ab 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/new_post_view.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/new_post_view.coffee
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ class @NewPostView extends Backbone.View
         @topicId    = @$(".topic").first().data("discussion_id")
         @topicText  = @getFullTopicName(@$(".topic").first())
 
+        @maxNameWidth = 100
         @setSelectedTopic()
 
     events:
@@ -31,7 +32,6 @@ class @NewPostView extends Backbone.View
             @showTopicDropdown()
     
     showTopicDropdown: () ->
-        console.log "showing"
         @menuOpen = true
         @dropdownButton.addClass('dropped')
         @topicMenu.show()
@@ -58,13 +58,9 @@ class @NewPostView extends Backbone.View
             @topicText  = @getFullTopicName($target)
             @topicId   = $target.data('discussion_id')
             @setSelectedTopic()
-        else
-            console.log "NOTHING IN "
-            console.log $target
 
     setSelectedTopic: ->
-        if @topicText
-            @dropdownButton.html(@fitName(@topicText) + ' <span class="drop-arrow">▾</span>')
+        @dropdownButton.html(@fitName(@topicText) + ' <span class="drop-arrow">▾</span>')
 
     getFullTopicName: (topicElement) ->
         name = topicElement.html()
@@ -87,7 +83,6 @@ class @NewPostView extends Backbone.View
         return width
     
     fitName: (name) ->
-        console.log name
         width = @getNameWidth(name)
         if width < @maxNameWidth
             return name
@@ -138,7 +133,6 @@ class @NewPostView extends Backbone.View
                 auto_subscribe: follow
             error: DiscussionUtil.formErrorHandler(@$(".new-post-form-errors"))
             success: (response, textStatus) =>
-                console.log response
                 thread = new Thread response['content']
                 DiscussionUtil.clearFormErrors(@$(".new-post-form-errors"))
                 @$el.hide()
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/_new_post.html b/lms/templates/discussion/_new_post.html
index b008c2d162..c5e4b41b0d 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/_new_post.html
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/_new_post.html
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
                 <div class="options">
                     <input type="checkbox" name="follow" class="discussion-follow" class="discussion-follow" id="new-post-follow" checked><label for="new-post-follow">follow this post</label>
                     <br>
-                    <input type="checkbox" name="anonymous" class="discussion-anonymous" id="new-post-anonymous" checked><label for="new-post-anonymous">post anonymously</label>
+                    <input type="checkbox" name="anonymous" class="discussion-anonymous" id="new-post-anonymous"><label for="new-post-anonymous">post anonymously</label>
                 </div>
             </div>
             <div class="right-column">