Eric Mack On-Line

Jeremy and Marc recently blogged about their A-Lists - people they look up to in the blogosphere. Since my name came up, I guess it's my turn to continue the trend.

Here's my current A-List:

Kathleen - My sweetheart; the love of my life; she will forever be at the top of my A-List. (Sorry, unlisted blog.)

Tanny O'Haley  - Tanny's been a brother to me for the 20+ years that we've known one another. We've collaborated professionally at many companies and we've pioneered innovative software together. Tanny's a great dad to his children and he's been a real encouragement to me. This summer, my daughter, Kelly, and I were honored to be a part of his wedding. Tanny was instrumental in helping me get my blogs set up a few years ago, and he and I continue to look for new ways to make and break technology. I'm honored to count Tanny as a friend. Tanny's blog, like mine, is an eclectic collection of posts. He's also awesome when it comes to style and design.

Michael Sampson - I first met Michael in 1997. Michael was a panelist in a session I moderated on Unified Messaging for the Electronic Messaging Association. (Wouldn't it be fun to go back and listen to that tape?) Little did we know that our shared interest in collaborative technologies would lead us to develop a strong professional and personal relationship. We have other interests in common, too. Michael and his wife, Katrina, also homeschool their wonderful children; six of them. They are a lovely family. This summer, Michael will fly up from New Zealand so that we can spend a day in the digital sandbox. Michael's blog on collaborative technology, Shared-spaces, is my favorite way to keep up with news and analysis in the field of collaboration. It's among the first I read each day.

David Allen - Friend, client, mentor. David's a neat guy and an overall fun person to hang out with. Like me, David loves cool gear, gadgets, and technology -- anything with wires a lots of flashing LEDs. When we get together, we are never at a loss for things to talk about. As David's technologist, I have the delightful opportunity to share my expertise and passion about using technology with a guy that loves to help others. David's assembled a neat team, and I'm honored to be among such good company. Though he doesn't blog often, (I'm working on that) I always look forward to reading what he has to say.

Jason Womack - To say that Jason is energetic would be an understatement. I first met Jason, through my work with David, and we hit it off right away. Each time we get together, amazing things happen. I can always count on Jason to ask me hard questions, such as "as a result of what you learned least year, what will you do differently now?" We like tech, GTD, and mapping out extraordinary visions for the future. Jason's become a prolific blogger, too; I really like the way that he integrates his work into his life -- or is it the other way around? In any case, another must-read.

Marc Orchant - I met Marc through his Office Zealot GTD blog site. We've had many late-night discussions on technology and how to put it into perspective. I'm in awe of Marc's communication skills. No wonder he has the [well-deserved] title of chief story-teller at his work. Lately, Marc's been providing me with validation for all the reasons that I have decided I must have a TabletPC. With Marc's help, I have hopes of becoming YABHTU soon.  Marc's blog, and now his podcast are on my daily list.

Buzz Bruggeman - What can I say? A day without Buzz is like a day without a good internet connection. Yes, that's it. Perhaps we should call Buzz, Mr Internet. In any case, I'm thankful for the conversations I've had with Buzz, each one yielding at least 180 new contacts. OK, at least 3. We'll talk about that soon, on a podcast. I think there are probably only a handful of people left in the world, who do not use Buzz' product, ActiveWords. Shame, shame. Perhaps I should list them by name on my D-List, just so that they will call Buzz and order. :-)

Nick Duffill - I met Nick as a result of some research to see just how well his product, ResultsManager mapped into GTD. That encounter led to a delightful acquaintance and many extended conversations. Nick's been blogging for just a few months. His blog, Beyond Crayons, is short on posts but long on quality of content. Nick and his business partner, Nik, were sponsors of our Children's robotics team this year, too. I look forward to having the guys from Gyronix on a future podcast.

Michael Hyatt - I've only exchanged a few emails with Michael, so I really only know him mostly through his blog. Oops, not true. Before the turn of the century, I used both of Michael's Y2K-related books as part of a preparedness presentation that I put together for my church. (Turn of the century; wow; I feel old.)  Michael's raised 5 daughters, so it must be possible. An inspiration. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Michael's company, publishes many of the books in my library and now he's pushing the envelope in the area of corporate blogging. A definite bookmark. Like David, Michael doesn't blog often; when he does, I schedule the time to read what he has written. Michael is also one of the inspirations for my move to the TabletPC. Hey Michael, here's an open invitation to come over and spend a day in the digital sandbox.

And my honorary A-list. Although they do not blog, they remain an inspiration to me.

Bill Gates - I remember attending NCC in the early 80's. There you were, in your classic [geek] sweater, sharing your vision for the future of computing. I also remember the detractors -- people who thought that the things you predicted would never come to pass. Thank you, Bill, for sticking to your vision and proving them all wrong. You've changed our world. I admire you for what you have accomplished. Though I've never met you in person, I have enjoyed being alive in the era of personal computing and I look forward to telling my grandchildren ... "I was there when Bill Gates said ..."  You are welcome to come over to the digital sandbox anytime you want. Bring the kids.

Commodore Grace Hopper - As the mother of modern computing and the first tech evangelist, you remain an inspiration to me. I still miss the elegance of COBOL and how much of an improvement it was to program in common English - even on Hollerith cards. I remember your speeches, your story about the first computer bug, and time I met you in Washington D.C.. I know that if you were alive today, you would be blogging now as prolifically as you spoke then. I still have the nanosecond that you gave me over 20 years ago. It hangs on the wall in my office.  (I plan to blog more about Grace Hopper in the future. Meanwhile, here's an excellent biography of Grace Hopper, by Marianne McKenzie.)

Who's on your A-list?