muraii

This plugin does the same thing as the the_author tag, displays the author name, however this one is linked to a hidden div(layer). Once you click on the author name the hidden div will show up together with the author details (taken from author profile page) plus the gravatar photo if the author has one, as well as a link to the author’s BuddyPress profile. If not, the default gravatar photo would be used.
This is a refinement of Igor Penjivrag’s Author Exposed plugin, released in 2008. See http://colorlightstudio.com/2008/03/14/wordpress-plugin-author-exposed/ for that plugin.
This plugin was developed specifically for use with WordPress MU and BuddyPress. It will work with WordPress, but the author link (my main point of interest) won’t be operable. That may change in a future version/adaptation of the plugin.
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<li>Comes with separate css file for easier modification.</li>
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BuddyPress Author Exposed

This plugin does the same thing as the the_author tag, displays the author name, however this one is linked to a hidden div(layer).

b-lame

The plugin links a hidden DIV (layer) with information about the author to any item on a page (i.e. the author’s name or the author’s gravatar image). Once you click the item the hidden div layer will show up, displaying the full name of the author, a bigger version of the gravatar image, the author’s e-mail address and a short description (from the author’s user-profile-page) and a link to the author’s posts-archive. Any other information can be easily added by editing the included php file. It offers a simple and elegant way to show author info.
ADVANCED Author Exposed plugin is an extended version of the original Author Exposed Plugin written by Igor Penjivrag of Color Light Studio (clsigor). For credits and questions regarding the original script please see the link to original’s author’s page (Other Notes).
Advanced Author Exposed solves two problems I had with the original Plugin:
1) AE can now be used multiple times on the same page and the generated code will still validate. 
The original Plugin was meant to be used once per page only. If you used it multiple times within the same page, it would create HTML DIVs that all had the same ID – thus leading to invalid code when testing it with the W3 validator. Advanced AE creates random DIV IDs on the fly, thereby eliminating this problem.
2) Can now be linked to ANY item, image or text 
The original Plugin automatically output the post author’s name as a link and linked the hidden DIV to it. But what if you wanted to link the hidden DIV to something else? I.e. the authors gravatar-image? 
Advanced AE introduces a PHP variable called $the_link_item – which can basically be anything you want – and attaches the hidden DIV to that specified item.
<h3>Documentation</h3>
For questions regarding Advanced Author Exposed please refer and reply to this thread: 
<a href="http://www.jungeroemer.net/2010/05/24/wordpress-plugin-advanced-author-exposed/" rel="nofollow ugc">Junge Roemer – Advanced Author Exposed</a>
The original plugin Author Exposed can be found at <a href="http://colorlightstudio.com/2008/03/14/wordpress-plugin-author-exposed/" rel="nofollow ugc">Color Light Studio</a>

Advanced Author Exposed

The plugin links a hidden DIV (layer) with information about the author to any item on a page.

BuddyPress Author Exposed vs Advanced Author Exposed