Why the reliance on usernode?

Notes: 
The usernode itself is empty. It's just a placeholder for its user.
The usernodes of blocked users are set to unpublished.
Manual deletion of usernodes (without deleting its user) 'll be prevented.

from usernode readme file.

in drupal5 you can only build views over the node table. per default there is no connection between the user and the node table, usernode generates this connection (as an empty node - placeholder - just to have a node per user). in drupal6 views will not need usernode to list users, but in drupal5 its needed.

usernode has nothing to do with a profile solution.

Hello.

So, I want to make sure about one think before I make the jump.

Since usernode will probable not be ported do D6, you will adapt the module in drupal 6 to its new features, and usernode dependency will disappear?

Regards,
Felipe

Felipe - I am in no way associated with the development of these modules - but to hopefully can help you here - the reply above was quite explicit:
"in drupal6 views will not need usernode to list users," - this is because Views2 in D6 handles Users directly, so the need of usernode as a placeholder will stop.

Looking forward to a RC of this great module ;-)

pisco23, Thanks for your comments, I will keep a close eye on it too.

There's this patch that ports usernode user table definitions to views_user.inc: http://drupal.org/node/143356

Maybe it makes usernode dependency not required anymore?

I think the author of the post has a point - many sites that use nodeprofile or bio already have nodes for every user, and can list users using views without usernode.

Adding usernode to my site would create many unnecessary nodes, so it would be nice if you could remove the dependency.

On the other hand - this would mess up your default views. (but the rest of the module would still work I think)