diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2d3eaed9..e2b2e18f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ Checklist
 - [x] create topic form
 - [x] Fork map lightbox / component
 
+- [ ] fix other places where metacode sets are used
+- [ ] make newtopic form load metacodes from users selected ones
 - [ ] create synapse form
 - [ ] replace old loader with react loader
 - [ ] ensure exports of maps work
@@ -63,4 +65,4 @@ Checklist
   - [ ] user passwords
 - [ ] Modify the RubyOnRails app to only serve JSON responses, no HTML pages anymore
 - [ ] Modify the frontend to request that data from the API which is necessary at first to load the page
-  - [ ] Load the metacode sets
+  - [x] Load the metacode sets
diff --git a/src/components/NewTopic.js b/src/components/NewTopic.js
index 3e33af27..d837ea6b 100644
--- a/src/components/NewTopic.js
+++ b/src/components/NewTopic.js
@@ -41,4 +41,14 @@ class NewTopic extends Component {
   }
 }
 
-export default NewTopic
\ No newline at end of file
+export default NewTopic
+
+/*
+TODO:
+{ @metacodes.each do |metacode| }
+      Metamaps.Create.selectedMetacodes.push("{ metacode.id }");
+      Metamaps.Create.newSelectedMetacodes.push("{ metacode.id }");
+      Metamaps.Create.selectedMetacodeNames.push("{ metacode.name }");
+      Metamaps.Create.newSelectedMetacodeNames.push("{ metacode.name }");
+    { end } 
+*/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/js/approve_access_post.js b/views/js/approve_access_post.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 24db9b80..00000000
--- a/views/js/approve_access_post.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-$('.main-text').text($('.requesterName').text() + ' has been shared on the map and notified.')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/js/deny_access_post.js b/views/js/deny_access_post.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 64b89256..00000000
--- a/views/js/deny_access_post.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-$('.main-text').text('Fair enough.')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/js/mark_read.js b/views/js/mark_read.js
deleted file mode 100644
index fdd11b8a..00000000
--- a/views/js/mark_read.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-$('#notification-{ @notification.id } .notification-read-unread > a')
-  .text('mark as unread')
-  .attr('href', '{ mark_unread_notification_path(@notification.id) }')
-$('#notification-{ @notification.id }')
-  .removeClass('unread')
-  .addClass('read')
-Metamaps.GlobalUI.Notifications.decrementUnread(Metamaps.GlobalUI.ReactApp.render)
diff --git a/views/js/mark_unread.js b/views/js/mark_unread.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ba128688..00000000
--- a/views/js/mark_unread.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-$('#notification-{ @notification.id } .notification-read-unread > a')
-  .text('mark as read')
-  .attr('href', '{ mark_read_notification_path(@notification.id) }')
-$('#notification-{ @notification.id }')
-  .removeClass('read')
-  .addClass('unread')
-Metamaps.GlobalUI.Notifications.incrementUnread(Metamaps.GlobalUI.ReactApp.render)
diff --git a/views/layouts/_templates.js b/views/layouts/_templates.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 54a6646c..00000000
--- a/views/layouts/_templates.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,181 +0,0 @@
-
-
-<div className="templates">
-  <script type="text/template" id="mapInfoBoxTemplate">
-    <div className="requestTitle">Click here to name this map</div>
-    <div className="mapInfoName" id="mapInfoName">{{{name}}}</div>
-
-    <div className="mapInfoStat">
-      <div className="infoStatIcon mapContributors hoverForTip">
-        <img id="mapContribs" className="{{contributors_className}}"
-          width="25" height="25" src="{{contributor_image}}" />
-        <span className="count">{{contributor_count}}</span>
-        <div className="tip">{{{contributor_list}}}</div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="infoStatIcon mapTopics">
-        {{topic_count}}
-      </div>
-      <div className="infoStatIcon mapSynapses">
-        {{synapse_count}}
-      </div>
-      <div className="infoStatIcon mapPermission {{permission}} hoverForTip">
-        {{{map_creator_tip}}}
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-    <div className="mapInfoDesc" id="mapInfoDesc">
-      {{{desc}}}
-    </div>
-
-    <div className="mapInfoMeta">
-      <p className="mapCreatedAt"><span>Created by:</span> {{user_name}} on {{created_at}}</p>
-      <p className="mapEditedAt"><span>Last edited:</span> {{updated_at}}</p>
-      <div className="mapInfoButtonsWrapper">
-        <div className="mapInfoThumbnail">
-          <div className="thumbnail"></div>
-          <div className="tooltip">Update Thumbnail</div>
-          <span>Thumb</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapInfoDelete">
-          <div className="deleteMap"></div>
-          <span>Delete</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapInfoShare">
-          <div className="mapInfoShareIcon"></div>
-          <span>Share</span>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="topicSearchTemplate">
-    <div className="result{{rtype}}">
-      <div className="topicMetacode searchResIconWrapper">
-        <img src="{{typeImageURL}}" className="topicIcon" />
-        <div className="metacodeTip">{{type}}</div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="resultText">
-        <p className="resultTitle">{{label}}</p>
-        <p className="resultDesc">{{description}}</p>
-      </div>
-      <div className="autoOptions">
-        <button className="addToMap hoverForTip" onclick="return Metamaps.Topic.getTopicFromSearch(event, {{id}})">
-          <span className="tip">add to map</span>
-        </button>
-        <div className="mapCount">
-          {{mapCount}}
-        </div>
-        <div className="synapseCount">
-          {{synapseCount}}
-        </div>
-        <div className="topicOriginatorIcon hoverForTip">
-          <img width="18" height="18" src="{{originatorImage}}">
-          <span className="tip topicOriginator">{{originator}}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="topicPermission {{permission}}">
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="mapSearchTemplate">
-    <div className="result{{rtype}}">
-      <div className="searchResIconWrapper">
-        <img className="icon" src="/images/metamap36c.png">
-      </div>
-      <div className="resultText">
-        <p className="resultTitle">{{label}}</p>
-        <p className="resultDesc">{{description}}</p>
-      </div>
-      <div className="autoOptions">
-        <div className="topicCount">
-          {{topicCount}}
-        </div>
-        <div className="synapseCount">
-          {{synapseCount}}
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapContributorsIcon hoverForTip">
-          <img id="mapContribs" width="25" height="25" src="{{mapContributorImage}}" />
-          <div className="tip">
-            <ul>
-              {{{contributorTip}}}
-            </ul>
-          </div>
-          <span>{{contributorCount}}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapPermission {{permission}}">
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="mapperSearchTemplate">
-    <div className="result{{rtype}}">
-      <div className="searchResIconWrapper">
-        <img className="icon" width="32" height="32" src="{{profile}}">
-      </div>
-      <div className="resultText">
-        <p className="resultTitle">{{label}}</p>
-      </div>
-      <div className="autoOptions">
-        <div className="mapperCreated">
-          <p>Mapping since: {{created_at}}</p>
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapperGeneration">
-          <p>Generation: {{generation}}</p>
-        </div>
-        <div className="mapCount">
-          {{mapCount}}
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="collaboratorSearchTemplate">
-    <div className="collabResult">
-      <div className="collabIconWrapper">
-        <img className="icon" width="25" height="25" src="{{profile}}">
-      </div>
-      <div className="collabNameWrapper">
-        <p className="collabName">{{label}}</p>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="synapseAutocompleteTemplate">
-    <div className="result{{rtype}}">
-      <p className="autocompleteSection synapseDesc">{{label}}</p>
-      <div className="synapseMetadata">
-        <div className="synapseOriginatorIcon hoverForTip">
-          <img width="24" height="24" src="{{originatorImage}}" />
-          <span className="tooltips synapseOriginator">{{originator}}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="synapsePermission {{permission}}"></div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-
-  <script type="text/template" id="topicAutocompleteTemplate">
-    <div>
-      <img className="autocompleteSection topicType" width="24" height="24"
-        src="{{typeImageURL}}" alt="{{type}}" title="{{type}}" />
-      <p className="autocompleteSection topicTitle">{{label}}</p>
-      <div className="expandTopicMetadata"></div>
-      <div className="topicMetadata">
-        <div className="topicNumMaps">{{mapCount}}</div>
-        <div className="topicNumSynapses">{{synapseCount}}</div>
-        <div className="topicOriginatorIcon hoverForTip">
-          <img width="24" height="24" src="{{originatorImage}}" />
-          <span className="tooltips topicOriginator">{{originator}}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="topicPermission {{permission}}"></div>
-      </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-    </div>
-  </script>
-</div>
diff --git a/views/maps/_newsynapse.js b/views/maps/_newsynapse.js
deleted file mode 100644
index efdde4af..00000000
--- a/views/maps/_newsynapse.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{ form_for Synapse.new, url: synapses_url, remote: true do |form| }
-{ form.text_field :desc, :placeholder => "describe the connection..." }
-{ end }
diff --git a/views/maps/_newtopic.js b/views/maps/_newtopic.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 73e472d5..00000000
--- a/views/maps/_newtopic.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-{ @metacodes = user_metacodes() }
-
-{ form_for Topic.new, url: topics_url, remote: true do |form| }
-  <div className="openMetacodeSwitcher openLightbox" data-open="switchMetacodes">
-    <div className="tooltipsAbove">Switch Metacodes</div>
-  </div>
-
-  <div className="pinCarousel">
-    <div className="tooltipsAbove helpPin">Pin Open</div>
-    <div className="tooltipsAbove helpUnpin">Unpin</div>
-  </div>
-
-  <div id="metacodeImg">
-    { @metacodes.each do |metacode| }
-      <img className="cloudcarousel" width="40" height="40" src="{ asset_path metacode.icon }" alt="{ metacode.name }" title="{ metacode.name }" data-id="{ metacode.id }" />
-    { end }
-  </div>
-
-  { form.text_field :name, :maxlength => 140, :placeholder => "title..." }
-
-  <div id="metacodeImgTitle"></div>
-  <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-
-  <script>
-    { @metacodes.each do |metacode| }
-      Metamaps.Create.selectedMetacodes.push("{ metacode.id }");
-      Metamaps.Create.newSelectedMetacodes.push("{ metacode.id }");
-      Metamaps.Create.selectedMetacodeNames.push("{ metacode.name }");
-      Metamaps.Create.newSelectedMetacodeNames.push("{ metacode.name }");
-    { end } 
-  </script>
-{ end }