Are Potatoes Really Bad for Worms?

I started up my worm bin about 3 weeks ago.  It's a 12-gallon plastic tub with about a pound of red wigglers.  They seem to have settled in nicely.

I've read in a bunch of places that one shouldn't feed worms potatoes, or maybe it's just potato peels.  Or potatoes AND tomataoes...and other sources say those things are just peachy.  There is a ton of conflicting information out there, which is complicated by the fact that the people giving the advice rarely specify what size or type of system they've found success (or failure) with.

I have a pound of small white potatoes that has, unfortunately, seen better days.  Can I feed them to the worms?  (Or course I'd chop them up, mix them with other materials, and not put them all in at once.)

And if potatoes are okay, where did this idea that they're eeeevil come from?  I saw some mentions of the solanine compound found in some nightshades, but I haven't seen any warnings about eggplants.  

I had pest issues with my potatoes. Some were rotten at time of harvest, and there.were earthworms enthusiastically devouring these... so they don't seem to be aware that they shouldn't eat them...

Maybe it is just a problem dumping a lot of potato peels at once?  I have noticed that can make a big stinky slimy bacteria mat in a compost bucket.

I would suggest putting some potato in a corner, and if the worms start to chow down on it then they know best. Like anything else, a good mix/blend/balance of food stuffs is probably best, and the worms can scrounge around as they see fit.

Most winters I keep an indoor worm bucket about 10 gallons in size. They get any potato bits we don't consume, along with any other kitchen waste except grease. Never noticed a problem with it.