From the article:
"Beehaw is relatively new and relatively small at the moment, but it’s one of the closest approximations of what Reddit is that you’re going to find, and well worth investigating as a Reddit replacement. The interface even looks a lot like Reddit, albeit without a lot of the on-screen features and furniture that build up over almost two decades of operation.
Have a read of the Beehaw mission statement and you’ll see the platform is committed to avoiding the “hate speech” and “disinformation” that’s prevalent elsewhere. The communities available right now cover everything from neurodivergence and people of color to literature and gardening, so you’re sure to find something of interest here."
I guess he means “bad” as in “less active”. I think what Beehaw is doing is great, but I also understand why some people would rather refer users to sites that federate with all the largest instances.