Gripers throng the Internet

By John M Grohol PsyD
March 28, 2006

Quote of the day…. Bad tippers, watch out!!

Terence Banich had been outed as a bad tipper, and he didn’t even know it. He popped up on the cheapskate list at BitterWaitress .com, berated by a server at a Chicago restaurant for leaving a $3 tip on a $200 bill. Informed of his tipping infamy, Banich said if he had left such a measly gratuity, it was a mistake, a misplaced decimal point, and he’s sorry for it.

But Banich, a Chicago lawyer, also said he was none too pleased that a waitress had lifted information from his credit card — his name — and posted it on the Internet.

Banich had effectively been cybersmeared, and he’s far from alone.

[...]

John Grohol, a psychologist who studies online behavior, agreed. Venting is therapeutic, and the Internet provides a great outlet for it, said Grohol, who also runs a Web site called Psych Central.

“But if people are being called out, that can cross the line into slander or libel, and that’s a bad thing.”

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues, and the intersection of technology and psychology since 1992.