It says I'm not allowed link anything for seven days. Can someone explain why? Did I violate some rule and am being punished? I'm confused.

I have no idea. Let me look into it.

EDIT: Okay. I found out why. Apparently there has been a new update to Forumotion. This update allows us admins to deny the right to link to external websites to any member who has been registered for a week or less. What this means is that you have to be a member for over a week to post links. I can change this, but I really want to leave it. It will help with those pesky members who only want to come here for self serving purposes like advertising. And it will fight spambots. If anyone disagrees with this decision, go ahead a post your concern below. Thanks.

--Nite

But I've been registered for much longer than seven days.

I wouldn't really consider advertising your site on other sites to be "self serving" if that site allows advertising (like I do on mine), but since Down set a rule against advertising on REF, I see no reason in changing it.

Personally I find that rule to be pretty hypocritical when you consider that Down goes around and advertises REF on sites that allow it (which is how I originally found my way here - he advertised on another RE site that I and my mentor used to run together), but REF is his site and he has the right to allow and disallow whatever he wants.

Down is different than me. I will not go onto other sites for the sole reason of advertising. If someone is here long enough to show that they are interested in being a good member, then they can advertise away. I just don't like people logging on once to advertise, and then never return. I wouldn't do it, so I don't want to allow it here.