It's an article about a community site about building communities. Not calling it an ad is a stretch

I don't know... The article does look like a veiled attempt at advertising their own community where they get to earn a $99 fee for every new registration. What I felt was in poor taste was that this motive of advertising and profit was hidden until the end of the article. Not calling it a hidden ad would be a stretch IMO.

I write about community from lived experiences and reference my lived community experiences, it's the most authentic way to do it.

I'd actually prefer people don't join that community. It's a very special little place on the internet for me. And people that know me know understand it's got nothing to do with money, that it's a fun experiment and the money is just a way to attract the right kind of people and make the community a joy to run.