Message text written by "\"As good almost kill a man as kill a good book\"
-- John Milton"
><

Thank you, ][<en, for your response & comments on various directories,
perils of trying to rate those included, and other interesting comments. I
would like to address them in more detail than I have time to now, but I
want to commend you for them. 

We raided the NY Landmarks book pretty thoroughly (I think I called
everyone in it), as well as every other published source we could find. It
seemed to me from the comments some of the NY people made that everyone who
had ever worked on a landmark building was included, even if they only
worked on one ever, in a very minor capacity, and were not especially
interested in historic work. Caveat emptor again for those wishing to hire
them. We always found a lot of outdated info in every source we used,
because publishers tend to reprint the same info unless they receive a
correction or are asked to delete someone. At least ours had all been
called at least once (I called 10,000 people in 3 years). If PTN wants to
do a book, I think I can help. 

Your comment on the legal liability of a publisher who attempts to rate or
approve listees is a good one. Even if there is some kind of system. there
need to be disclaimers and statements that anyone wishing to do business
with listees needs to check them out (this is stated in PSB). I am aware of
at least one "confirmed source" in PSB who was reported to me by someone
else to have been forbidden to bid on any more state-funded projects in his
state because of unsatisfactory work, after working on a great many, which
list he used to generate more work. All hearsay, so I name no names. I
don't know if it's true. 

There are real; advantages to limiting a directory to paid participation or
members of an organization, in that they are self-selecting, responsible
for their own statements about themselves, and info tends to be up to date
when it costs something to be in. People don't value things that cost them
nothing (most of the time). 

Blue Book has indeed a growing HP section. That was one reason for making
PSB regional, although it was the one thing that most often required
explanation about it. Actually, anything different requires a lot of
explanation and a long buildup to get going, which was certainly our
experience with PSB. 

Don White

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