Server Status:
Plex is a streaming platform, which to the user appears to work similarly to Netflix or Hulu. The big difference is that the actual media is hosted on personally-owned "servers". When I say "My Plex Server", I am referring to a literal computer in my house with a bunch of hard drives storing all of the movies and shows you find in my Plex server libraries. Each item is added by me personally.
Plex (the company) has made it harder to explain how this works because they now serve some of their own content in addition to user servers. When you see "Movies & Shows on Plex", that is the Plex company's content and it has commercials. I recommend removing this from your home screen and menu and instead just watching content hosted on private servers.
One last thing to understand is that Plex is free, and so is access to my server. The only thing you may have to pay for are the Plex mobile apps. There is also something called "Plex Pass", which you shouldn't buy. It doesn't do anything for end users, it's only beneficial for users who host servers.
Just remember, if for some reason you interact with the Plex company's support, do NOT tell them that you are paying for access to my server. My server is and always will be free. Some servers have been banned over misunderstandings where users said they paid for access but all they actually paid for was the app.
Don't worry about that.
No. This server is hosted on my own computer, which cost a lot of money. The movie files are stored on many, many hard drives, which all cost a lot of money. The server uses electricity and internet bandwidth, which both cost money. If I decide to share my server with you, it's because I like you and I trust you. I have no interest in sharing with people I have never met. If I find that you are sharing accounts with people who don't live in your house (and I can easily find out), you will be banned from the server. If there is someone you really want me to share my server with, let me know and I will consider it.
One other thing to keep in mind - if you are at someone else's house and sign into your Plex account to watch something, remember to sign back out before you leave. It's still account sharing even if it was accidental.