Like column definition, almost all of the information is optional. Values include last name, first name, middle name, email address, homepage URL, classification (staff, freelance, syndicated, user-defined, other), bio or tagline, and associated image of the author/artist.

Tracking this information gives you the ability to:

• Automatically provide links to an author/artist's email address, homepage or archive page.

• List recent articles by an author or other images by an artist within your templates.

• Generate archive pages listing every article or image ever contributed by an author/artist.

• Create homepages for each author or artist.

• Search by author/artist.

• Have Dispatch email statistical reports to the author/artist, such as what their most popular stories or images were for the recent issue, and historically.

All of these features and more can easily be added to your design using Dispatch tags and your imagination. See the features section for more information.