Are all advertisements trash?

The article introduces a problem and a solution that they came up with. Are you saying it's trash just because they have a chance of making money off it? It's ok to have a conflict of interest, imo - the work should stand for itself, and in this case I feel it was a good article.

The article introduces a problem as though the author is a neutral third-party, and that's slimey. I generally enjoy write-ups from companies that explain why they exist. Reading this one felt like being invited over for dinner and then finding out it's a timeshare pitch.