7 Tech Geeks to Follow on Twitter

Some people on Twitter follow celebrities. Some people follow imaginary characters via fake profiles made by other fans. Some people follow their family members and real life friends. Myself? I follow fellow geeks in the technology field, ones that I am so impressed by that they might as well be celebrities. As far as I am concerned, they are.

If you are as much of a massive nerd as I am, and are not afraid to admit it, you will want to get these seven people on your radar. Trust me, they are must-follow Twitter users.

1. Om Malik

I originally came across Om Malik through his website, GigaOM. He, along with several other writers, update on the latest news in the technology world. They also write interesting feature pieces, and it is one of my favorite tech blogs thanks to the positive tone of the posts. His Twitter is very similar. He is engaging and friendly, but he can also be scathing when he needs to be. It is a good mix, and he updates a lot.

2. John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow is an interesting fellow. He used to write songs for the Grateful Dead, owned a ranch in Wyoming, and has written for publications like The New York Times. Think that is impressive? He is also a managing partner at Algae Systems and a founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He might also be Batman. OK, the last one was (probably) a lie, but the rest is true. He is very open on his Twitter, discussing everything from technology to his political views. He is always entertaining, no matter what is on his mind.

3. Seth Weintraub

Apple fans will like this guy. He is one of the founders of 9to5Mac, though he has written for many websites and publications over the years. The majority of his posts and links are Apple related, though he seems to be branching out a bit lately. I have seen him doing a lot more about Google lately, and some about other popular sites like Reddit. He is great about replying to people, as well.

4. Ed Bott

Tech fans will know who Ed Bott is, to be sure. One of the beloved voices of technology journalism for decades, this award winning author is fantastic to follow. His tweets are often funny, insightful, full of information and interesting. He also treats his Twitter as his own space, just as it should be. So you don't feel like you are reading tweets manufactured as marketing. He just seems to be posting as himself. That is depressingly rare these days.

5. Danah Boyd

Academic powerhouse Danah Boyd is well respected for many reasons. Her intelligence, advocacy and straight-to-the-point method of addressing issues are certainly among them. Her posting is usually pretty consistent, though she goes days at a time without updating. The plus side to this is that what she does post is usually high quality and relevant.

6. Farhad Manjoo

New York Times, Slate and Fast Company writer Farhad Manjoo is great to follow because of his frequency of posting. It is like being part of an actual conversation, with quick fire replies coming every few minutes throughout the day. He is great about speaking directly to followers, and he isn't afraid to give his opinion. Tough he does it in a very engaging and personable way. In other words, he is highly relatable.

7. Gabriella Coleman

Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman of McGill University is a fascinating woman in every way. Her experience and work in the technology world is mostly focused on the study (and teaching) on hacker groups and collaboration between individuals on the internet. As such, she has done extensive research into the Anonymous phenomenon, and the many activist efforts that came as a consequence of raids by the Internet Hate Machine. Following her is a great way of getting well informed and studied information on the topic.

Obviously, there are many tech geek profiles out there that are worth a follow. What are some of your own favorites? Let us know in the comments.