If You Can't Afford To Tip 20%…

An increasingly popular thing to do on Facebook is joining groups that are phrases you agree with. Whatever your cause, there is a matching group on Facebook. Many want to end the war in the Middle East, and others want to boycott Arizona because of their new immigration reform. Then there is a smaller cause: a group that was started by an angry server in a restaurant. "If you can't afford to tip 20%, don't go out to eat!"

Now don't get me wrong. In a lot of states, waitstaff makes under minimum wage and needs to make tips to survive. It's frustrating when a large group comes in and stiffs you on the tip. However, complaining about it probably won't change their ways. The best you can do is to do your job well, and hope for the best. If the problem is that you hate your job, maybe it's time to find a new one. If the problem is customers who are tightwads – well there is little you can do to get rid of them. They are always going to be out there. What good does it do to tell them to stop going out to eat, if they're going to leave a crappy tip? Fewer customers = layoffs at your restaurant. Yes, even the tightwads contribute to your employment being possible!

This group's aim is to teach people to tip better. However, the literal interpretation is valid – if you can't afford to tip 20% perhaps you should dine at home instead? I think I will – it's a hell of a lot cheaper! Hopefully everyone doesn't follow this advice, though. If they do, a lot of waitstaff will be without jobs, and I have a feeling that isn't what they expected!

Tags: cooking, facebook, jobs, tipping, whining

The Sky Is Not Falling

There's always a ton of whining about the Facebook layout whenever it changes. But perhaps what's even more irritating is the notion that Facebook is going to charge people to use its website. Groups have sprouted up demanding that Facebook not charge its users, lest it lose many of its members. Let's take a look at this idea for a minute, using logic:

Facebook became one of the biggest sites on the web because it is FREE to use.

Facebook makes money from advertisements.

The more eyeballs are on the Facebook website, the more money Facebook makes.

Were Facebook to start charging for membership, most people would not pay, due to the availability of free substitutes like MySpace and Twitter.

With most of its member base gone, Facebook would not earn any advertising revenue.

There would be no value to a paid Facebook membership with most of the people leaving for a substitute service.

Therefore, there is no logical reason why Facebook would shoot itself in the foot, and destroy its enormous member base which contributes to its incredible net worth.

The next time you jump on one of these "The Sky Is Falling" bandwagon groups demanding that Facebook not charge people, take a minute to think. Why in the world would they do something that stupid?

Tags: advertising, facebook, fees, whining