> Can you show me an example of a "badge-style template", > or give me a good description, so I can understand how > that creates the functionality I'm looking for? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:User_Macintosh This template on wikipedia when added to your user page as {{User Macintosh}} adds a little badge that says "This user contributes using a Macintosh computer." It also adds the user to the Wikipedians who use Macintosh computers category. As for the benefits of this versus a database solution, I'd need to know what results you need from the solution to tell you if this has the functionality you are looking for. If you want to have a easy list of whose going to what con, this will do it. If you need to have a list of anybody who attends ANY con, this can do that do, providing that a higher-level category for "attends conventions" is included in the template.