I had a problem with another user a couple of days ago and he found a way to get his revenge on me tonight. He stood over me in a community herb garden so that he could pick any herbs before I did - I don't know whether he's just faster, or whether lag has something to do with it.
Anyway, it's not the herbs, or the wasted time, or this sad individual's solitary life. The problem is the current herb system. Any number of players can pick cherries, and the worst anyone can do with mining is to help you. But herbs take a significant investment of time and resources, and because they're free-for-all it gives griefers a way to harass other users.
I don't plan on lodging a complaint about that user, but something really should be done to fix the system