Sometimes I feel like if I do so I’m basically serving as an ad, and I don’t really care for that, especially if later I find that the business was scummy in some ways (which is often the case, especially later as it changes leadership/ownership).
If you do, how do you deal with it?
By not caring what others think. It’s become way more efficient for me to pay for certain reliable items or services rather than spending my time to learn to and do such. If a service or product saves me time and frustration, ya I’m much happier to pay someone to do it or pay for a known fix. Sometimes that results in me spouting off about how much that was worth to me, and how much I saved (if not in money, at least in sanity).
Sharing your experiences and thoughts on a commercial product doesn’t make you a shill, or a walking ad. Rather sharing your experience with friends should be seen as a trustworthy review.