Identifying the goals of user profiles
User profiles can be used for a range of purposes. On one end of the spectrum, a profile can be used to store basic information about the user. On the other end of the spectrum, a user profile can be a place for a user to craft and share an online identity. As you create the functionality behind your user profile page, you should know the type of profile you want to create for your users.
Drupal ships with a core User module. This module is a great starting point, and for many sites, it will provide all of the functionality needed.
If, however, you want more control over who will see certain parts of a profile, you will probably need to take the next step: adding modules to control the field-level permissions.
The most suitable approach to user profiles will be determined by the goals of your site. Using Drupal's core User module provides some simple options that will be easy to set up and use. Adding permissions modules requires more time to set up.
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