Improve the user login experience in Drupal

Drupal core requires users to login with a username, but they also need an email. Usernames are easy to forget, and their structure is difficult to enforce (but hook_user() can be used for this). This page lists some tips to improve the experience.

Profile core module:

  create "personal information" fields such as Forename and Family name.

Email Registration module:

  Allow email instead of username.
 

LoginToboggan module: generic user login improvements
        admin/user/logintoboggan 
                Allow email login
                Use two e-mail fields on registration form
                Delete unvalidated users after: 6 months
                Display login successful message
                Min. password length: e.g.  6

RealName module
        Settings in admin/user/realname/general
            Show realname in nodes
            Overwrite user fields in view to show realnames
            Disable: Show "Not verified" for anonymous users
            Fields: User Forenam + Familyname to create the 'real name'

User registration notification
        admin/settings/register_notify

Login destination
    admin/user/login_destination

Persistent Login:

   add a "remember me" below the login box, allow logins to be cached in the browser.

The Already In module
  redirects authenticated users who attempt to visit the login, user registration, or password reset URLs to the /user page instead. This prevents authenticated users from getting an Access Denied error message. Optionally, the module can display a "You are already logged in" message when redirecting users.

Admin Roles is a module to maintain an administrator role which has all available permissions. Configured in the user settings screen. Included in D7 core.

Register with Picture:

  exposes the 'upload picture' element to the registration form

Mass_Contacts

  is a module to send an email to all users belonging to a specifc role. Its seems a bit dated and  am not so sure it works correctly yet. There's not much doc on how to use it: see admin/build/mass_contact, visit the permissions page and the (disabled) Navigation menu item. See also 746114.

Further reading:
   http://www.lullabot.com/articles/user-management-real-world-groups