Jack Placement - Top, Sides Bottom - What is best

[Processaurus]

Either way is fine, but having both kinds of pedals is when it gets awkward.  I've made a couple special short right angle to straight 1/4 patch cables for making it less so, but it still isn't a great solution.  Ultimately, for a pedalboard, if you had 100% back jacks everything would look wonderfully tidy, but I always put mine on the side because I rely on a bunch of boss pedals (I think they like the side jacks for the player with just a couple on the floor, it being a more natural angle for long cables to come in at) and short right angle cords.  So much in pedals is due to anachronisms, 9v batteries, 1/4" cables, center negative 2.1mm power.

Making internal wiring easier is the worst reason to decide where jacks go, because if they aren't in an ergonomic spot it makes the end user have to have the wiring (in the form of cables) that should have been on the inside, on the outside.  That's why I cringe at the side mounted DC power jack, it makes wonderful sense for the builder (shorter wires, saved space, right next to the battery and the input jack that traditionally switches the battery on), but ends up being a burden on the guitarist.

I've thought about making pedals that had both side AND back jacks, so either ones could be used  .

[caress]

depends on who you're building for... 
for yourself - whatever you like!
for others - need to take into consideration things like pedal board space, etc.  much of what people have already said.

i dig top mounted personally - seems to be the cleanest and most aesthetically pleasing.

[Gordo]

Probably heresy, but I'm surprised nobody has ever implemented a "universal" standard like USB-ish or similar connector for in and out.  As in: making an industry standard 1/4" in and out interface and then just running a single cable to an effects "brick".

OK, too goofy.

We now return to the normally scheduled...

[blooze_man]

That actually sounds pretty cool.

[jasperoosthoek]

Probably heresy, but I'm surprised nobody has ever implemented a "universal" standard like USB-ish or similar connector for in and out.  As in: making an industry standard 1/4" in and out interface and then just running a single cable to an effects "brick".

OK, too goofy.

We now return to the normally scheduled...

USB connectors are weak. But so are power connectors.

Why not just use stereo jacks?

[petemoore]

  Jack use only leads to patch cable use.
  Just say no to jack abuse.

[digi2t]

I guess it purely depends on how you're going to layout your pedals. I use snakes with straight connections to my pedalboard, so I place my in/out's on the top side of my boxes. Whatever blows your skirt up man, run with it.

Cheers.