The filler text complaint is a common complaint against SEOs, but that is a problem far more common with the likes of content mills. That post includes many things that were not publicly known in the prior context (like TripAdvisor's past link buying).

Content which parochially states "x is never worth doing" is of far lower quality stuff than content which is rich in historical context with actual examples used based on real-world data and experience.

The example of TripAdvisor being impossible to beat (along with suggesting that start ups need to avoid risk) is a quite laughable combination since TripAdvisor was buying so many links that Matt Cutts directly contacted them in person at a conference and warned them about it. They levered up on risk until they felt it was about to catch up with them & then backed off.

That sort of approach is far smarter than saying "take no risk." After all, most start ups end up failing anyhow. Success is not about avoiding risks, but taking smart ones.