"Tips are how we SURVIVE!"

The whole history of this website and why I registered the domain fifteenpercent.com has everything to do with working in the food industry and collecting tips as my income. I was never a bleeding heart, minimum wage employee, crying about my income as determined by total strangers. I understood tipping as something that is NOT demanded by law. I also believe that it is only partially based on quality of service (there's just some people who will never tip more than a few bucks, regardless of circumstances).

What's the true history of the word "tip" in regards to gratuity?

Today's thing that is 15% is a story related to tipping gratuity, that you can read here.

vinyl sales are up!

According to the Wired Blog Network, vinyl sales rose in 2007. You'll never guess by how much (rounded down, of course).

15% of 3M

Today's (local) 15% feature comes from a decade (!) old article on Wired.com, basically stating that for decades, the engineers at 3M have spent 15% of their work hours on their own projects. This is good for 3M, because their projects have become 3M's products.

I don't know if I'm more blown away by the article being as interesting as it is, or that 10 years ago it was 1998.

ABC News Poll: American Sex Survey

This poll has a lot of instances of 15% in it.

I've even highlighted them for you, the reader, using TheAwesomeHighlighter.com's Awesome Highlighter.

the fifteen percent rule

15% of any online community is comprised of ninnies, fools, and jerks.

I couldn't agree more.