Quote - I'm referring to freestuff items that a provider makes to give away to the community such as the items in the freestuff area not the things you are referring to above.

 
Stacy, something else you may want to consider is that some people may post a link in to their freestuff using the forum to control bandwidth. Once something goes into the Free Stuff "gallery", it's a free-for-all, everybody and their mother rush to download it whether they need it or not, which can quickly sucks up providers monthly available bandwidth, which makes the whole site unavailable for that month. Posting it in the Forum brings it to the attention of a smaller group of people who, more or less, have a real need or desire for said item.

It may also be that, for whatever reason, a provider may only want to offer his free item to members of a certain forum. By forbidding that, you're telling that provider to post it in in the Renderosity Free Stuff gallery or don't post it here at all. Under some circumstances that might be considered restraint of trade. At the very least it's restrictive, elitist, and monopolistic.

The ability to freely communicate, share, and trade is what made Renderosity into the cash cow it is today. To hinder free communication, sharing, and trade in any way is a slap in the face to the people that made this site great...the members.

It's all fun and games...
Until the flying monkeys attack!!!