Eater Poll: On the Twitter Decorum of the Critic's Friends

7x7's Sara Deseran brings to light a debate that has been loudly rumbling beneath the surface throughout the last few weeks: the Twitter account of Michael Bauer's regular dining partner Michael Murphy. Coming under particular fire is the update pictured above, prompting Deseran's well-written argument—which is absolutely worth reading in its entirety whether you agree or not—that someone in Mr. Murphy's uniquely privileged position should maybe exercise a bit more caution in taking "pot shots" like the above, before the review runs. On the other hand, it can also be argued that the man isn't the reviewer and should thus be allowed to use the Twitters however he wants. (Random sidenote: promoting select restaurants and live-tweeting from dining rooms are probably dicier issues).

In many ways, this is a new technology (and food media) issue bigger than this particular debate. So, it's probably best to do the only thing logical: put the question to the masses! And away we go: