It was popularized at least as far back as eBay (albeit as a positive/neutral/negative scale). "Seller shipped me an empty box but at least there wasn't dynamite in it. A+++++++ seller."

I do think restaurant and product ratings are a bit different. With Uber, eBay, etc., a lot of people recognize that any less than perfect rating can lead to a personal impact on someone even if a small number of people leave a negative.

That said, many will leave good marks on satisfaction surveys because a middling mark may lead to someone reaching out to find out what the problem was and that can just be more hassle than it's worth.

Arguably the punishment side existed before the web then in US tipping etiquette.

But at least the eBay 'approve' asks you whether the vendor was adequate or not, not to give them the maximum on an entirely artificial multiplier scale unless you think they should face consequences.

>Arguably the punishment side existed before the web then in US tipping etiquette.

True. In general, even if service is bad for whatever reason, most people would say you should leave a tip even if a less generous one than you normally would.

I haven't left a rating on eBay for a long time and don't use it much. But for many situations there's something to be said for thumbs up/down or an up/neutral/down rating when you're not really trying to fine tune.

And I suspect the use of grades in US Highschools where anything that isnt an A is considered a failure is an element why every ones gives a 4 or 5