Thing is - it's free promotion for them - & they do zero for us ... I only have the forum to keep the payware posts out of the other forums ...
In essence I can see your reasoning Pete, and don't think I am being negative, as I am not at all, but as a hobbyist in the simmers area, I have come to the realization that I love payware (yes Dave its true

) for many reasons. The cost behind buying payware, is a low sum compared to my other hobbies. It might be free promotion for them in some respects, but it can also benefit Simviation in that like me I do what I can to promote Simviation at other sites and the 'family setting' that SimV seems to have compared to the rest of the forums I occasionally post on.
I personally will buy payware that I find interesting, or is a model of something that I have wanted where the freeware is either not available, or not as close to real as I had hoped. I will buy it regardless of its promotion to a website, however if the payware sites promoted here, I would be even more inclined to purchase their product as it would benefit SimV even more than just people that post in the Payware forums can do.
The way I see it, is different than a business point of view. I know I do not run SimV so its not my call, but payware, freeware, its all the same with the exception of a few dollars involved out of my pocket. Some is good and some isn't on both sides of the coin.
And lastly choosing not to move the Payware forum up a little, is your decision, and I respect you for that, just wish it would move up a smidgeon since I tend to spend most of my time in the payware and payware screenshots forum

Respectfully,
Stephen