diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0b127baf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<template name="postAuthor">
+  By <a class="post-author" href="{{profileUrl}}">{{authorName}}</a>,
+</template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.js b/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76fdc6954
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_author.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+Template[getTemplate('postAuthor')].helpers({
+  authorName: function(){
+    return getAuthorName(this);
+  },
+  profileUrl: function(){
+    // note: we don't want the post to be re-rendered every time user properties change
+    var user = Meteor.users.findOne(this.userId, {reactive: false});
+    if(user)
+      return getProfileUrl(user);
+  }
+})
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
index 19b0b860c..b6359837c 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 <template name="postInfo">
   <div class="post-meta-item">
-    <span class="points">{{baseScore}} <span class="unit">{{pointsUnitDisplayText}} </span></span>by <a class="post-author" href="{{profileUrl}}">{{authorName}}</a> <span class="post-time">{{timeAgo ago}}</span>
+    <span class="points">{{baseScore}}</span>
+    <span class="unit">{{pointsUnitDisplayText}}</span>
+    <span class="post-time">{{timeAgo ago}}</span>
     {{#if can_edit}}
       | <a href="/posts/{{_id}}/edit" class="edit-link goto-edit">{{_ "edit"}}</a>
     {{/if}}
   </div>
-</template>
\ No newline at end of file
+</template>
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.js b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.js
index 1711b4df3..1468c632d 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.js
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.js
@@ -5,18 +5,12 @@ Template[getTemplate('postInfo')].helpers({
   can_edit: function(){
     return canEdit(Meteor.user(), this);
   },
-  authorName: function(){
-    return getAuthorName(this);
-  },
   ago: function(){
     // if post is approved show submission time, else show creation time. 
     time = this.status == STATUS_APPROVED ? this.postedAt : this.createdAt;
     return time;
   },
-  profileUrl: function(){
-    // note: we don't want the post to be re-rendered every time user properties change
-    var user = Meteor.users.findOne(this.userId, {reactive: false});
-    if(user)
-      return getProfileUrl(user);
+  getTemplate: function() {
+    return getTemplate("postAuthor");
   }
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/views/users/user_edit.js b/client/views/users/user_edit.js
index ae36adff6..146d6fd2c 100644
--- a/client/views/users/user_edit.js
+++ b/client/views/users/user_edit.js
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ Template[getTemplate('user_edit')].events({
       });
     }
 
+    update = userEditClientCallbacks.reduce(function(result, currentFunction) {
+      return currentFunction(user, result);
+    }, update);
+
     Meteor.users.update(user._id, {
       $set: update
     }, function(error){
@@ -89,4 +93,4 @@ Template[getTemplate('user_edit')].events({
 
   }
 
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/collections/users.js b/collections/users.js
index ebd7a73b7..060b9e07f 100644
--- a/collections/users.js
+++ b/collections/users.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 var Schema = {};
-
-Schema.User = new SimpleSchema({
+var userSchemaObj = { 
   _id: {
     type: String,
     optional: true
@@ -42,7 +41,14 @@ Schema.User = new SimpleSchema({
     optional: true,
     blackbox: true
   }
+};
+
+
+// add any extra properties to postSchemaObject (provided by packages for example)
+_.each(addToUserSchema, function(item){
+  userSchemaObj[item.propertyName] = item.propertySchema;
 });
+Schema.User = new SimpleSchema(userSchemaObj);
 
 // Meteor.users.attachSchema(Schema.User);
 
diff --git a/lib/users.js b/lib/users.js
index fc4029d61..0cfd5386f 100644
--- a/lib/users.js
+++ b/lib/users.js
@@ -93,7 +93,12 @@ getCurrentUserEmail = function(){
   return Meteor.user() ? getEmail(Meteor.user()) : '';
 };
 userProfileComplete = function(user) {
-  return !!getEmail(user);
+  for (var i = 0; i < userProfileCompleteChecks.length; i++) {
+    if (!userProfileCompleteChecks[i](user)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  return true;
 };
 
 findLast = function(user, collection){
diff --git a/packages/telescope-base/lib/base.js b/packages/telescope-base/lib/base.js
index bdbb15452..ecda3d1ab 100644
--- a/packages/telescope-base/lib/base.js
+++ b/packages/telescope-base/lib/base.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 addToPostSchema = [];
 addToCommentsSchema = [];
 addToSettingsSchema = [];
+addToUserSchema = [];
 
 SimpleSchema.extendOptions({
   editable: Match.Optional(Boolean),  // editable: true means the field can be edited by the document's owner
@@ -155,13 +156,17 @@ postHeading = [
     template: 'postDomain', 
     order: 5
   }
-]
+];
 
 postMeta = [
   {
-    template: 'postInfo',
+    template: 'postAuthor',
     order: 1
   },
+  {
+    template: 'postInfo',
+    order: 2
+  },
   {
     template: 'postCommentsLink',
     order: 3
@@ -193,6 +198,16 @@ commentEditClientCallbacks = [];
 commentEditMethodCallbacks = []; // not used yet
 commentAfterEditMethodCallbacks = []; // not used yet
 
+userEditRenderedCallbacks = [];
+userEditClientCallbacks = [];
+
+userProfileCompleteChecks = [
+  function(user) {
+    return !!getEmail(user) && !!user.username;
+  }
+];
+
+
 // ------------------------------ Dynamic Templates ------------------------------ //
 
 
diff --git a/packages/telescope-base/package.js b/packages/telescope-base/package.js
index 3120132ab..5ee4af58a 100644
--- a/packages/telescope-base/package.js
+++ b/packages/telescope-base/package.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Package.onUse(function (api) {
     'addToPostSchema', 
     'addToCommentsSchema', 
     'addToSettingsSchema', 
+    'addToUserSchema',
     'preloadSubscriptions', 
     'primaryNav', 
     'secondaryNav', 
@@ -50,10 +51,14 @@ Package.onUse(function (api) {
     'commentEditClientCallbacks',
     'commentEditMethodCallbacks',
     'commentAfterEditMethodCallbacks',
+
+    'userEditRenderedCallbacks',
+    'userEditClientCallbacks',
+    'userProfileCompleteChecks',
     
     'getTemplate',
     'templates',
 
     'themeSettings'
     ]);
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});