In the current implementation there is not a clear distinction between user account information and setting, and user profile page for display.
right now, the user page is used as a profile page, and when editing it, it uses (optional) tabs for both account settings and the setting of the profile page.
Although both data- account information and settings, and the profile page, are related to the user and might have some common fields, they really have seperate content with different needs, permission settings, and logic.

On popular social network sites, these two parts are indeed seperate- viewing and editing the profile page is seperate than viewing and editing account information. This is, IMHO, what the user expects.

Comments

Ozeuss’s picture

Ozeuss commented

Let me rephrase, what i wrote may not be clear enough.
Right now, the user page serves both to display account information (member since..) and the user profile. Editing the user account and profile gives a little bit better separation through tabs.
I think the user profile deserves a page of its own-e.g profile/%uid for the user profile, and user/%uid for account information.

This would be better from both a UI persective (since usually there is a separation like this- see facebook/linkedin), and from a permission sense (account information should be views mostly by admins, while profile would be available to most users).

Ozeuss’s picture

Ozeuss commented
Title: Seperate user profile and user account presentation on /user/%uid page » Separate user profile and user account presentation on /user/%uid page
damien tournoud’s picture

damien tournoud commented
Status: Active » Closed (won't fix)

The profile module is obsolete. Won't fix.