Question
Why do some say compact your sand bed before laying pavers and others say don't even walk on it?  What happens if you end up with more than one inch of sand?  What if it's more in some places and exactly one inch in others?  This would be important if you have a solid border you are trying to match in height.

Answer
You need to screed your sand to approx 1" thick and dont compact it till you set the pavers on it. I don't know why some say compact and others dont.
Try this link for starters - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL_ZwbFbb7g
Screeding is a process of using a board and two guide boards to drag the sand across the paver area and make it relatively consistant in thickness. If its not exactly 1" thats ok but it souldn't vary by more than about 1/2 inch or so.
Good Luck

Sean J Murphy, LA, ISA
www.seanjmurphy.com