There doesn't have to be commercial gain for it to be promotion. The distinction is promotion vs contribution. If you view HN as a community and all you're doin

There doesn't have to be commercial gain for it to be promotion. The distinction is promotion vs contribution. If you view HN as a community and all you're doing is saying "look at the thing I made" rather than actively engaging with the community as a whole, then your contribution value to the community is low.