# Category selector is restricted on "reply as linked topic" when "show subcategory list" is enabled
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078
**Category:** Bug
**Created:** [April 1, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078 "2015-04-01T21:24:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@john\_mardlin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/john_mardlin)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/1 "2015-04-01T15:37:52Z")
Yes, Chromebook. It’s usually very stable, but other tools we use have had chromebook specific bugs in the past.
So, **to reproduce the bug** (on Chromebook at least):
1. create linked topic
2. try to set a new category
(I’ll have a colleague test that)
**Expected outcome:**
You can type in the category selector, which will filter category options
**Actual outcome:**
No ability to type. Options are limited to current category, or uncategorized.
Am I correct about the expected outcome?
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/2 "2015-04-01T15:39:29Z")
> [@Hidden or staff only posts for collaborative moderation](https://meta.discourse.org/t/hidden-or-staff-only-posts-for-collaborative-moderation/27063/11):
>
> Am I correct about the expected outcome?
Yes, this is how it should look
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/3 "2015-04-01T21:27:21Z")
Moving this to a bug cause this is the second time it has popped up in a few days.
If you enable the site setting “show subcategory list” when replying as new topic you are “boxed” into the category and its children when replying as a new topic.
I think the “boxing” should not apply here and clearly feels like a bug.
I see 2 options here:
1. Add a site setting for “restrict reply as new topic to current category and children”
2. Stop doing this as the “boxing” behavior feels totally unrelated to “reply as new topic”
@eviltrout / @codinghorror thoughts?
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/4 "2015-04-01T23:12:12Z")
I think it’s because the shared category picker has one set of behaviors, based on the topic you are in.
Even if we are suppressing subcategories, though:
- why would “reply as linked topic” ever be limited to _only_ the current category. That feels like a bug? At minimum other top-level categories should be shown to choose from?
And beyond that
- reply as linked topic is kind of a special case and should probably show the complete list of categories, including subcategories, **but always default to the current category** unless there are permissions issues preventing you from posting in the current category..
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### Author:  [@john\_mardlin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/john_mardlin)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/5 "2015-04-02T18:36:29Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> why would “reply as linked topic” ever be limited to only the current category. That feels like a bug?
Strongly agree. Even though it makes sense to have the current category be the default, it’s far from an edge case to use this feature to open a conversation in a different category.
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### Author:  [@eviltrout](https://meta.discourse.org/u/eviltrout)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/6 "2015-04-07T17:16:07Z")
Okay, now when you reply as a linked topic it will never scope to the current category:
>
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-selector-is-restricted-on-reply-as-linked-topic-when-show-subcategory-list-is-enabled/27078/7 "2015-04-07T21:04:07Z")