OK, (you started it, NFFC) Who ARE the three most powerful people in search?

[Chris Boggs]

Sergey Bryn (Google Co-Founder)
Larry Page (same)
Eric Schmidt (CEO Google)
Jerry Yang (Yahoo Co-Founder)
David Filo (Same)
Terry Semel (Chairman/CEO Yahoo)
Bill Gates (duh you better know who he is)
Paul Allen (Co-Founder MS)
Steven Ballmer (CEO MS)
Barry Diller (Chairman/CEO IAC/InterActive Corp - New owners of AskJeeves)

Could not include since max of ten poll choices, but there is another 6 to consider strongly if "Writing in:"

Danny Sullivan
Chris Sherman
Jill Whalen
Matt Cutts for being the G/SEM "liaison"
Tim Mayer for being the same for Yahoo
Kai-Fu Lee (The "rope" in a tug of war between MS and G)
Write in Candidate (post choice)

Votes are private except write-ins (your chance to part the cheeks :P)...and I'll thown mine in later

[NFFC]

I vote Jill Whalen.

[AussieWebmaster]

Originally Posted by NFFC

I vote Jill Whalen.

If only you weren't being sarcastic!

[mick g]

Yep I second Jill Whalen

[Webvisitor]

Bill Gross
(at least an honorable mention?)

[Chris Boggs]

Originally Posted by Webvisitor

Bill Gross
(at least an honorable mention?)

Bill Gross is certainly influencial, if you are talking about the founder of the incubator idealab or the powerful bond broker, but I would not place either of them on the list of people influencial in search...

[Gurtie]

'powerful' like influence the industry or 'powerful' like can ruin a million people overnight?

Larry and Sergey might be influential but that little guy in the office with his finger on the algo slider scares the whatsit out of me

[Rob]

I'm kinda surprised to see Page and Bryn at the top of the list. Sure they started Google, but Schmidt is in the drivers seat now.

Look at the headlines - "Schmidt's Google to release more shares"

The perception (at least from the stock market) is that he's in control.

Of course I'd say being in the industry that Page and Bryn are more influential but outside this industry I'd give the nod to Schmidt

[searchengineblog.com]

Gotta be Jill

[Daria_Goetsch]

For the "Writing in" list, I'd include Mike Grehan.

[Chris Boggs]

Originally Posted by Daria_Goetsch

For the "Writing in" list, I'd include Mike Grehan.

you mean the scientist who classified "green fairy dust?"

[Chris Boggs]

Originally Posted by Rob

I'm kinda surprised to see Page and Bryn at the top of the list. Sure they started Google, but Schmidt is in the drivers seat now.

Look at the headlines - "Schmidt's Google to release more shares"

The perception (at least from the stock market) is that he's in control.

Of course I'd say being in the industry that Page and Bryn are more influential but outside this industry I'd give the nod to Schmidt

you know I was toying with what order to put the list, but I just went with the way they came out. Funny that you point that out...very true from a wall street perspective...most investors look at the CEO for confidence, and the stock certainly doesn't seem to be tanking. I think you are right on when you say that Larry and Sergey are more influencial when it comes to industry-insiders. Looks like the votes so far agree with that.

<added> hmm I may have spoken too soon...not keeping up with it since I stupidly didn't believe the hype </added>

[Shak]

another vote for JILL here

[Chris_D]

All these votes for Jill - and none for Doug?

[Marcia]

What does "powerful people in search" mean?

[PhilC]

Good question, Marcia. Some votes have gone to where there is no power at all, but they may just be sarcasm. I assume that "powerful people in search" means people who have the power to affect the search results, and the most powerful of them are inside Google at the moment. The only power on the outside is the power to affect a few serps to some degree or other, or to be heard by the powerful people, but that's miniscule power by comparison.

[Phoenix]

What does "powerful people in search" mean?

Basically I think there really aren't "powerful people in search" just influential people capable of affecting results indirectly or by that of public opinion. Search is really just all algorithms and math anyway based on a goal for relevany and of course controlled by geeky people behind a computer tweaking things and making sure nothing blows up with SEO's right behind playing detective to figure out what they are doing.

If I had to say anyone though, my vote would be Barry Diller for sheer balls and captial to buy Ask recently, and second Danny for being most vocal and honest of the list.

[TallTroll]

Paul Gardi (Teoma)
Hector Molina-Garcia (Stanford)

[AussieWebmaster]

Originally Posted by Marcia

What does "powerful people in search" mean?

You have some standing in that regard Marcia.... especially as the den mother of this crew!

[webpundit]

I vote for "We, the people" as the most powerful people in search. At least that's what the SEs will have us believe.