In reply to kimstuart12345.

Kim, no one is saying there shouldn't be pro plugins. Whether free versions of pro plugins should be able to take over the dashboard, the plugins screen, the admin bar with advertising is what is in question.

Without advertising people would still buy groceries (basics), people would still choose leather seats for their cars (luxury features). There are other places to promote a plugin than in-your-face in a WordPress install.

As WordPress goes more and more commercial, we'll need stricter and stricter rules. The only way to enforce any kind of compliance is via inclusion (exclusion) from the WordPress repository.