Quote - > Quote - > Quote -  so to clarify, no more "where can i get a this or that?" hey. Is this correct?

According to jenX we can't actually ask this in product showcase forum either because that says vendors (ie noone else) are only are allowed to post about their products.
Love esther
PS I think we need to discuss this with site staff as JenX suggests.

***"However, to ease your mind, there are exceptions to the rule.  For instance, if someone were to ask "Does anyone know where I can get a pirate ship"? as a question in the forum, feel free to point them in the direction of pirate ships, both free and for sale. 

While you can't outright advertise them, and we shouldn't have allowed it in the first place, you CAN link to products, both free or for sale, should the need to answer a question arise.  "***

Ok that particular bit is probably the only thing good left about the whole mess.

Yes. I like that we're still able to do that. I know how it is to be a newbie who isn't aware of where to go to find the product you're looking for. An actual link and not just a, "X person has this" helps a lot, especially when you're very new and wouldn't begin to know where X person's site is located.