SlashDot Founder, Microsoft CEO, Linux Creator: What Do They Have In Common ?

Steve Ballmer runs the world's largest software company, Linus Torvalds heads the world's largest open source project Linux while Rob Malda runs the largest geek website. But wait, there's one more common thing.

All the three personalites have joined the ranks of 10 People Who Don't Matter - a list of people released by Business 2.0 magazine that you can safely snub at conferences.

Linus Torvalds [Creator, Linux] - While Torvalds still oversees any changes made to the innermost core of Linux, most of the innovation is now done by others, and commercial businesses like Red Hat and Novell increasingly steer its future.

Steve Ballmer [CEO, Microsoft] - The head of the world's biggest software company is a lame duck. It will be increasingly tempting for Ballmer to follow Bill's lead, and make boosting the shares someone else's problem.

Rob Malda [Founder, Slashdot.org] - Slashdot's editor-driven story selection model is being supplanted by user-generated systems such as Digg. Malda knows his subject, and he's a good editor, but in the end, he's just no match for the power of the multitudes.

Other influential people in the list includes inventor of DVD as well as top executives from Sony, Vonage, Vodafone and Netflix.

10 people who don't matter | Photo Gallery