Those profiles that self-delete remain on the server for 30 days in case their owner changes their mind. Those people who join up and never move beyond level 1 before leaving the site, will delete after 180 days of inactivity, this accounts for a large number of profiles. Those members who spend the time and effort to make it to level 2, gain the benefit of never having their account deleted for inactivity, as the system stands now.
I see this as a great benefit of VR, where all members both premium and free who enjoy the site but may have a change in their life circumstances that prevent them for coming on for a long time, will still have their profiles active when they do finally get to come back.
In the time I have been here I have seen and heard of many members taking long breaks from VR and online time in general due to all sorts of reasons but when they come back they get to enjoy the benefits of their profile and friends lists to recontact the folks they enjoyed here.
Rather than thinking of there being too many profiles to rate, just enjoy seeing the different styles and hear the different voices of those who have made VR their home at some point in it's 5 year history. The status system is now geared so that you can advance all the way to sire without rating at all, it just makes it faster if you chose to do so. :)
Here is a thread in which Cancer discusses more in depth about the member deletion and how it works, Click Dark Network Status System
