The expanded user card is easier to find by reading the topic and clicking on a user avatar next to a reply. I have the same problem with the user filter: context matters. I just stopped trying that feature.
Somewhat off topic, but I have the same frustration with the Moderation History view of a topic. What I’d really like is a way to jump from one post in the filter the the next with the full context available.
There’s a thing on mobile that feels like it’s headed in that direction. When you select the progress bar you get a dialog that looks like this:
