diff --git a/public/templates/category.tpl b/public/templates/category.tpl
index 0b5e1f7bae..147bf46267 100644
--- a/public/templates/category.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/category.tpl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 				<div class="span12 topic-row img-polaroid">
 					<div class="latest-post visible-desktop">
 						<div class="pull-right">
-							<img src="{topics.recent_picture}?s=50" />
+							<img style="width: 48px; height: 48px; /*temporary*/" src="/graph/users/{topics.recent_author}/picture" />
 							<p><strong>{topics.recent_author}</strong>: {topics.recent_post}</p>
 						</div>
 					</div>
@@ -37,31 +37,17 @@
 				Recent Replies
 			</div>
 			<div class="block-content">
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
+				
 			</div>
 		</div>
 		<div class="sidebar-block img-polaroid">
 			<div class="block-header">
-				Top posters
+				Active Participants
 			</div>
 			<div class="block-content">
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd37ce111f863c6665045c2d72d199bf?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/07c9c7170c3ac676c2561e3eeaee063c?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
-				<img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/91050ce0072697b53380c6a03a1bc12a?s=48" class="img-polaroid" />
+				<!-- BEGIN active_users -->
+				<a href="/users/{active_users.username}"><img style="width: 48px; height: 48px; /*temporary*/" src="/graph/users/{active_users.username}/picture" class="img-polaroid" /></a>
+				<!-- END active_users -->
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	</div>
diff --git a/src/categories.js b/src/categories.js
index 9e740db8f4..1ac673d262 100644
--- a/src/categories.js
+++ b/src/categories.js
@@ -75,13 +75,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 							'slug' : slug[i],
 							'description' : description[i],
 							'blockclass' : blockclass[i],
-							'icon' : icon[i],
-							/*'topics' : [0,1], later
-							'latest_post' : {
-								'uid' : 1,
-								'pid' : 1,
-								timestamp and shit
-							}*/
+							'icon' : icon[i]
 						});
 					}
 
diff --git a/src/posts.js b/src/posts.js
index f63f155d6d..cba4c066c0 100644
--- a/src/posts.js
+++ b/src/posts.js
@@ -224,10 +224,23 @@ marked.setOptions({
 					RDB.incr('tid:' + tid + ':postcount');
 
 
-					user.getUserFields(uid, ['username','picture'], function(data){
+					user.getUserFields(uid, ['username'], function(data){
 						RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':recent:post', content);
 						RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':recent:author', data.username);
-						RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':recent:picture', data.picture);
+
+						//add active users to this category
+						RDB.get('tid:' + tid + ':cid', function(err, cid) {
+							RDB.handle(err);
+
+							// this is a bit of a naive implementation, defn something to look at post-MVP
+							RDB.scard('cid:' + cid + ':active_users', function(amount) {
+								if (amount > 10) {
+									RDB.spop('cid:' + cid + ':active_users');
+								}
+
+								RDB.sadd('cid:' + cid + ':active_users', data.username);
+							});
+						});
 					});
 					
 					
diff --git a/src/topics.js b/src/topics.js
index 74e44e182c..69f79e7d83 100644
--- a/src/topics.js
+++ b/src/topics.js
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 				deleted = [],
 				pinned = [],
 				recent_post = [],
-				recent_author = [],
-				recent_picture = [];
+				recent_author = [];
 
 			for (var i=0, ii=tids.length; i<ii; i++) {
 				title.push('tid:' + tids[i] + ':title');
@@ -43,11 +42,11 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 				pinned.push('tid:' + tids[i] + ':pinned');
 				recent_post.push('tid:' + tids[i] + ':recent:post');
 				recent_author.push('tid:' + tids[i] + ':recent:author');
-				recent_picture.push('tid:' + tids[i] + ':recent:picture');
 			}
 
 			var multi = RDB.multi()
-				.get('cid:' + category_id + ':name');
+				.get('cid:' + category_id + ':name')
+				.smembers('cid:' + category_id + ':active_users');
 
 			if (tids.length > 0) {
 				multi
@@ -61,26 +60,25 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 					.mget(pinned)
 					.mget(recent_post)
 					.mget(recent_author)
-					.mget(recent_picture)
 			}
 				
 			
 			multi.exec(function(err, replies) {
 				category_name = replies[0];
+				active_usernames = replies[1];
 				var topics = [];
 
 				if (tids.length > 0) {
-					title = replies[1];
-					uid = replies[2];
-					timestamp = replies[3];
-					slug = replies[4];
-					postcount = replies[5];
-					locked = replies[6];
-					deleted = replies[7];
-					pinned = replies[8];
-					recent_post = replies[9];
-					recent_author = replies[10];
-					recent_picture = replies[11];
+					title = replies[2];
+					uid = replies[3];
+					timestamp = replies[4];
+					slug = replies[5];
+					postcount = replies[6];
+					locked = replies[7];
+					deleted = replies[8];
+					pinned = replies[9];
+					recent_post = replies[10];
+					recent_author = replies[11];
 
 					var usernames,
 						has_read;
@@ -104,8 +102,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 								'pin-icon': pinned[i] === '1' ? 'icon-pushpin' : 'none',
 								'badgeclass' : (has_read[i] && current_user !=0) ? '' : 'badge-important',
 								'recent_post' : recent_post[i],
-								'recent_author' : recent_author[i],
-								'recent_picture' : recent_picture[i]
+								'recent_author' : recent_author[i]
 							});
 						}
 
@@ -118,11 +115,17 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 							}
 						});
 
+						var active_users = {};
+						for (var username in active_usernames) {
+							active_users['username'] = active_usernames[username];
+						}
+
 						callback({
 							'category_name' : category_id ? category_name : 'Recent',
 							'show_topic_button' : category_id ? 'show' : 'hidden',
 							'category_id': category_id || 0,
-							'topics': topics
+							'topics': topics,
+							'active_users': active_users
 						});
 					}
 					
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index 713e03d85d..fd75894fca 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -211,6 +211,21 @@ var express = require('express'),
 			res.send(JSON.stringify(post));
 		});
 	});
+
+
+
+	//START TODO: MOVE TO GRAPH.JS 
+
+	app.get('/graph/users/:username/picture', function(req, res) {
+		user.get_uid_by_username(req.params.username, function(uid) {
+			user.getUserField(uid, 'picture', function(picture) {
+				res.redirect(picture);
+			});
+		});
+		
+	});
+
+	//END TODO: MOVE TO GRAPH.JS
 }(WebServer));
 
 server.listen(config.port);