MOTM

I really don't care how it mounts as long as it's on the front panel.
BTW, although most studio equipment does have the jacks on the back, 
those jacks are almost always terminated in some type of patchbay 
with the jacks on the front.  The whole idea of a modular is based 
on the ability to patch together any configuration.  This requires 
front panel jacks.  What if all the connections had to be patched on 
the back?  Why should the MIDI jack be any different?