I decided to compile the names of great human beings I idolize and admire and who I haven't had in-person contact with… yet. (Email doesn't count.) They share common factors, primarily:

• Eclectic - They take the best of multiple, diverse systems and combine them into a refreshing, focused whole.
   
• Inimitable - They aren't copyable, and those that try are destined to fail.
   
• Relentless - They're here for the long haul, and aren't one-hit wonders. Time and time again, whether they reinvent themselves or keep building on older ideas, they keep going.
   
• Nice - No jerks allowed!

That, and they also must be alive. So we go, in first-name alphabetical order:
 

Alvin & Heidi Toffler - Futurists of the first degree, these practical prognosticators who like to say "As we've seen" have taken it upon themselves to sum up human space & time in their epic texts — not so much in sheer length as the stunning breadth of their ideas and observations. I love how in their golden years, they're still a close couple, which says a lot about how through the strong bonds of their relationship, they've influenced millions positively. And hey, can't beat a couple who called out MMOs far before computers were household appliances. Read Future Shock, it's a must.

Brian Transeau - Better known as BT, it's too easy to limit him as a "trance" musician, but that's like saying pepper's the only spice. Transeau, ever the consummate chef of sonic stews and salads, has woven an impressive array of melodic pop and esoteric glitch, and come up with the Space Battleship Yamato equivalent of breaking down snob strongholds. Going through much adversity, BT had his synths & other equipment stolen not just once, but twice, and bravely turned it around for a good cause to benefit less fortunate musicians.

David Allen - Productivity peaker and abbot of actionables, his system may appear headache-inducing at first, but applying some of the simple techniques will help you to be less of a lazy lardass and more of a mentally healthy achiever in broad sense. Just like Timbits get made out of donut holes, so do spare pockets of time get crafted into doable tasks. It was very comforting for me to read his famous Getting Things Done book, because I'd found I'd developed a similar style independently, and out of necessity.

David Pogue - Composer and computer book author extraordinaire, I grew up reading his column in Macworld magazine. I even won a musical contest he held, which thrilled me because I was that much closer to a hero of mine. Synonymous with the for Dummies series, he's also developed an excellent style guide through the Missing Manual line, and apparently he's hosting a new computer show demystifying technology. I love unscarifying useful tools!

Guy Kawasaki - Another veteran of the Mac world, he pioneered evangelism in the computer industry and now has a really successful blog titled How to Change the World, after the two previous names proved too damn difficult to remember. His passion for products he believes in, and his eloquent but no-BS style are strong motivational forces I'm reminded of while representing Second Life.

Joss Whedon - He really, really understands quality characterization, regardless of what setting or predicament his protagonists and their friends find themselves in. I've watched just about every episode of Buffy, and Whedon's uncanny ability to weave both the obvious and back-corner pop culture into his unique mythologies justifies it as serious, but enjoyable narrative. The sheer avidness of his hardcore fan base alone is priceless, as it speaks volumes of how his stories have touched many lives.

Masi Oka - Trust me on this one, people who are both superintelligent visual effects programmers and unorthodoxly charismatic actors are hard to come by. I was impressed upon hearing he did the computer-generated water for Pirates of the Caribbean, and even more enthralled by his character on NBC's hit Heroes, the time-traveling Hiro Nakamura. Maybe then, it isn't so surprising that he's so big on emphasizing that "the human brain has two sides".

Michio Kaku - Prolly one of the smartest men on the planet, but unlike most academic professors, you won't find him in a stuffy argyle sweater mocking pop culture — rather, Kaku revels in talking about string field theory and time travel as it relates to hit movies. One of the first times I saw him was on TechTV, explaining the science behind The Matrix. He's also had fun with Star Wars. One might think he's a far-out quack with his appearances on fringe media like Coast to Coast AM, but the truth here is exactly the opposite. A truely great explainer.

Moby - Born Richard Melville Hall, he appropriated the rootsy sounds of the American folkland with phat beats to rock the advertising and cinematic world — lemme get this straight, it takes a meek, skinny white guy to unite black musical culture old and new? Well then, Moby clearly has more soul than a beloved grandma baking brownies with that "special something". Notably quotable and while in my eyes he hasn't surpassed Play with more recent works, his earnest behavior sets others aback, and in the process, they unwittingly reveal more of who they actually are.

Ragnar Tornquist - A true believer in telling finely exquisite stories through computer games. Champion of grand adventures The Longest Journey and Dreamfall, the power of his storytelling became blatantly obvious when he led a bland WordPress blog (using the default template) through 100s upon 100s of comments, only recently prettying it up with a banner. Content is king, but since Tornquist insists on so much prettiness in his digital tomes, clearly, context is queen. His opinions are insightful and welcome.

Russell Brown - An old soul who's no stranger to the best-known of all computer graphics apps — that's Adobe Photoshop! — Russell got the Knoll brothers onboard with 1.0, and to this day in his elder years (he's old enough to be my grandpa, I think), he enthusiastically leads graphic design conferences, garbed as a swashbuckling pirate. Memorable, to say the least. Also known for his video tutorials, and you know how well that goes over with me.