When admins are on the "User search" page (/admin/users/search.php), they can click on the username and be taken to the accounts page from which they have access to the user's profile page. However, in Mahara 1.5, staff members now also have limited access to that page. As they cannot manage users, the username is not linked.
For them, this page is only useful for accessing reports. However, it would be a great page to access user's profile pages quickly (only when they have access to the actual reports will they be able to click on the username to be taken to the profile).
Therefore, I would say the profile picture (and the real name) should always be linked to the profile page of a user also for admins as that would cut down an intermediate step having to go via the accounts settings page to get to the user profile page.
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