I’m a Who’s Who! Well, who knew?
I certainly didn’t, but how delightful to be famous. Well, that’s what I was told. I’ve been nominated for inclusion into a ‘Who’s Who’ along with other noteworthy business dignitaries and community celebrities. I received several emails telling me to drop everything and accept this incredible honor immediately, so I did just that. I never knew that I was very important, so this seemed like a grand slam.
Actually, a grand scam.
I devoured the email, eagerly searching for the name of my champion. I was going to send flowers, at least. No need, since I wasn’t really nominated. My “…information was obtained by our research committee after careful consideration of candidates using industry publications, trade show attendance lists, and corporate profiles on [social networking] sites….”
Is that so?
Still, my ego was still bloated enough to keep reading, until I found the part about the basic and enhanced lists. The basic list was just that. It was free and your name was included on a list in their publication. To be on the enhanced list, which included your name, professional affiliations, and all the other qualities that made you a bigwig, you simply needed to complete the application and send $800.00 for a Platinum Membership. In this economy, I’d have to commit robbery to get $800.00, and after that, why I’d be on several lists and quite possibly have my picture up in post offices across the nation! And the taxpayers would pay the fees!
At that point, my ego deflated faster than the Zimbabwean dollar on the foreign exchange reserve. (Really, ten million ZWD will net you around four bucks in the US!!) There was nothing particularly important about me. I was still unique and special, just like everyone else. I was also highly irritated. These ’whooligans’ really wanted $800.00 to put my name on a “yearly registry of global movers and shakers.” That almost created enough moving and shaking to start an earthquake. Seriously, Elvis Presley was ‘All Shook Up’ and Jerry Lee Lewis had a ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ going on, and THEY got paid to be on lists, not the other way around.
So remember that it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice. And the work you do is worthwhile and meaningful, but don’t waste your hard earned money on a bunch of scammers who are playing on your sense of pride. It’s great to be proud, but we’re all part of the crowd. I’m going to save my money, listen to some Elvis, and print myself a certificate of achievement. And if the folks at Who’s Who contact me ever again, I’ll offer ten million dollars. Zimbabwean dollars, naturally.
And that’s what’s what.
I’m surprised they didn’t hit you up sooner. I’ve gotten at least a dozen of those, mostly at work. I think they just troll government websites with folks work e-mails on it.