Don't know the article in question I think, but I guess the negative effect stated is the movement penalty before engineering (edit: which means: crossing a river costs 1 movement point/edit...). That could be an issue if you e.g. need to move defenders around.
Also I suppose if your enemy had a river he could fortify troops on one side and they would have a defensive bonus, which would be negative for the player.
Cracker's article relates to the movement penalty of crossing a river. IE A worker or settler on a road will end their turn after they cross a river. The point is to develop the side of the river that will allow growth to occur the fastest.
The benefits of rivers are huge because you can grow to pop 12 without building a aqueduct and you get a commerce bonus.
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