[Plugin: Wp-Directory-List] Why is this on here?

Was helping someone who wanted to use this plugin’s current version 1.6.1.
First is question about its posting here on wordpress.org. It places a “Powered by” link back to the author’s website on EVERY page (public & Admin) when installed and there is no way to remove the link without editing the php files. According to Plugin Directory rules:

4.The plugin must not embed external links on the public site (like a “powered by” link) without explicitly asking the user’s permission.

On some pages using his shortcode his link back appears multiple times.

This plugin does not work without massive code modifications. According to forums posts in the past year, it has always been this way. Only few things as example:
1) Links do not appear on pages with [category] shortcode
2) [pages] shortcode produces error in php.
3) Missing default form html code for format of links and submit form.

Can not find any posts from the author on this forum and on his own website comments are disabled with no contact. As his website is (and called exactly) a “Money making website” this just has the appearance of something to drive traffic to his own website specifically for that purpose alone.
As plugin author myself I understand there can be coding issues but in this case some of these issues go back a year although new versions have been produced with no support while driving traffic back to his “money making website.”
Just seems to kind of be the antithesis of what WordPress and this site is about.