lmao, what a load of crap in that dumb ass article:
"Many clock historians claim that IIII is supposed to provide artistic balance, since you mentally pair it off with VIII on the other side of the dial. (Presumably you see how the otherwise economical IV would have trouble holding its own in this respect.) "
How the fuck do you pair it eh? Maybe they ment III paired with VIII
Seems like the tradition is from the old times, then people knew even less shit in US. Look at the site's domain name, explains everything.
Go to Italy/Rome and see for yourself what they use for "4"