JohnDoeFromTF2

It doesn't take a whole userbase of tech savvy users if one guy is able to do it since he is able to share the link. All he needs to do is use the API to find the mod and file ID, and then share the link with less savvy users. This is also dangerous as the users might be willing to pay others for archived mods. People have opinions and some people consider some mods to be essential to their game experience. If a mod is removed or archived, they are willing to go through all the hoops necessary to get that mod. That is why subreddits like "Mod Piracy" exist.

Doesn't that make the "non-trivial" part of the statement a lie, since it is as trivial as copying and pasting a link?

I was looking at the pinned comment on the latest news post, and I have a question. If free users can access files through collections traditionally (going to mod author's pages, what is stopping them from taking the link and sharing it?

I don't know why they can't just leave a comment saying that rather than doing this cloak-and-dagger.

Well it would make sense for that to be the case considering the amount of silence, bans, and comment locks going on regarding it. I originally put this on the media seconds of Skyrim, SSE, FNV, and FO4 so that maybe it would draw enough attention so that it became a big enough issue for Nexus to answer, only for them to take it down, claiming that it belongs on the forums. It seems like they want it on the forums only to keep it out of public sight.

Can I please get an answer considering that the thread about this was closed, thus restricting the community's ability to have feedback on this specific issue?