Who's Who: It's lame, a shame and a waste of time and money
Firm Issues
Bob Weiss
November 2006
Every month attorneys are solicited to buy or confirm listings in various editions of Who's Who.
Don't be tempted. Save your marketing dollars. And, delete any listing from your resume, and do it immediately.
What was once a respected research tool more than a decade ago joined the gallery of famous lost trademarks. Today, most anyone can get into Who's Who, and there are dozens of versions of the thick books. Few find their way onto library research shelves. Many are seldom referenced and nothing but online lists.
A recent article in Forbes revealed just who is in Who's Who -- a pipefitter, drivers' ed instructor, even imposters -- and how scanty the review and approval process has become www.forbes.com/fyi/1999/0308/063.html
How did this happen?
The title "Who's Who" is now in the public domain. Somebody forgot to protect it. The result is that thousands of "Who's Who" compilations of varying scope and quality have been published by various authors and publishers. Most of these are obvious vanity publications, where the inclusion criterion is the biographee's willingness to buy the book, and the business model consists in selling books directly to the biographees.
So, next time you are asked to apply for a Who's Who remember-- so was just about everyone else.
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