Famous in Geekdom

The cult of Geek Celebrity is so strange to me. It is different from traditional Hollywood celebrity culture because these are not people who we see in movies or on television. They are people who have blogs with thousands of readers or alumni of dearly departed Tech TV. We don't see them on the read carpet, but we can follow them on Twitter/Jaiku/Pownce, watch their video productons, and read their online postings. I sometimes get more information through the course of the day about them than I get about my own wife.

So, what compels us to follow the geek elite? Everyone has an individual reason, but for me it is realizing that they are just like me. Leo Laporte has a wife and two kids just like I do. Kevin Rose grew up in a relatively small town just as I did. Veronica Belmont poured countless hours reading sci-fi/fantasy in the same way that I spent far too many hours inside with books instead of playing sports. They and the other talented few who have emerged to become certifiably "famous" let all of us know that we can all develop a voice that others want to hear. Perhaps one day my voice will contribute to the chorus.