Perez Hilton and other bloggers top Forbes’ Top 25 Web Celebs list
December 23, 2007
Forbes Magazine recently released its list of Top 25 web celebrities, compiling the most popular and/or influential online personalities today.
The magazine defined “Web Celeb” as a person famous primarily for creating or appearing in internet-based content and for being highly recognizable to a Web-based audience. The shortlisted personalities were then ranked according to their web references in Google, Alexa traffic and Technorati rank of their website, and TV, radio, and other press mentions.
Entertainment gossip blogger Perez Hilton topped the list followed by a string of bloggers and blog owners.
Only goes to show that, on the internet, just about anyone can be a star.
Wonder when a Filipino can be included on the list? Can YouTube sensation Charice Pempengco manage to grab a slot next year? We hope! But first, she’ll have to create a website or YouTube channel first then work her way towards becoming popular worldwide in order to be part of the list.
The Web Celeb 25
#1. Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira)
Age: 29
What: Celebrity gossip blogger (www.perezhilton.com)
Controversial gossip blogger Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, styles himself as “The Queen of Mean” and has earned a rabid following, thanks to his sense of humor, snarky voice and irreverent habits — like doodling rude captions on paparazzi photos. His blog is hugely popular and Perez is increasingly becoming a TV star, with gigs including guest-hosting The View, appearing as a contestant on MTV’s Celebrity Rap Superstar and hosting his own series of specials, What Perez Sez, on VH1.
#2. Michael Arrington
Age: 37
What: Tech blogger (www.techcrunch.com)
Savvy investors and tech-business analysts turn to Michael Arrington, corporate attorney, entrepreneur and editor of the influential TechCrunch blog, for help regarding the next best thing. The site obsessively profiles and reviews Internet entrepreneurs, products and services — and a mere mention of a company on its pages can make or break a start-up. Arrington has become a Silicon Valley star, one of the most influential business writers in the world, and is regularly cited or quoted in other media.
#3. Mark Frauenfelder
Age: 46
What: Editor, blogger, illustrator (www.boingboing.net)
Mark Fraunfelder co-founded technology and culture ‘zine Boing Boing in 1988 and the site is now one of the most read and linked-to blogs in the world. He is also editor-in-chief of do-it-yourself magazine MAKE and this year, he published a book, Rule The Web, about “how to do anything and everything on the internet–better, faster, easier.”
4. Seth Godin
Age: 47
What: Marketing guru (www.sethgodin.com)
Marketing expert Seth Godin is a best-selling author of Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, highly sought-after lecturer, successful entrepreneur, respected pundit and high-profile blogger. He is uniquely respected for his understanding of the Internet, and his essays and opinions are widely read and quoted online and off.
#5. Cory Doctorow
Age: 36
What: Author and blogger (www.craphound.net)
Cory Doctorow is a prominent activist for digital rights, and serves as a fellow of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He’s one of the editors of Boing Boing, a hugely influential and popular blog about technology, culture and politics. And he’s also a science fiction novelist, particularly famous on the Web, where he gives his novels away for free.
#6. Matt Drudge (Age: 41)
What: News Web site editor (www.drudgereport.com)
#7. Gina Trapani (Age:32)
What: Productivity blogger (www.lifehacker.com)
#8. Mark Zuckerberg (Age: 23)
What: Facebook founder (www.facebook.com)
#9. Harry Knowles (Age: 36)
What: Movie critic (www.aintitcool.com)
#10. Robert Scoble (Age: 42)
What: Tech blogger (www.scobleizer.com)
#11. Frank Warren (Age: 43)
What: Online artist (http://postsecret.blogspot.com)
#12. Om Malik (Age: 41)
What: Tech blogger (www.gigaom.com)
#13. Will Leitch (Age: 32)
What: Sports blogger (www.deadspin.com)
#14. Jeff Jarvis (Age: 53)
What: Media critic (www.buzzmachine.com)
#15. Kevin Rose (Age: 30)
What: Digg founder, videoblogger (www.digg.com)
#16. Kathy Sierra (Age: 50)
What: Programming instructor, blogger (http://headrush.typepad.com)
#17. Fake Steve Jobs (Dan Lyons) (Age: 47)
What: Journalist, author, blogger (http://fakesteve.blogspot.com)
#18. Markos Moulitsas Zúniga (Age: 36)
What: Political blogger (www.dailykos.com)
#19. Xeni Jardin (Age: 35)
What: Journalist, blogger (www.xeni.net)
#20. Ryan Block (Age: 25)
What: Gadget blogger (www.engadget.com)
#21. Glenn Reynolds (Age: 47)
What: Political blogger (www.instapundit.com)
#22. Pete Cashmore
What: Tech blogger (www.mashable.com)
#23. Steve Rubel (Age: 38)
What: PR expert, blogger (www.micropersuasion.com)
#24. Heather “Dooce” Armstrong (Age: 32)
What: Blogger, mom (www.dooce.com)
#25. Darren Rowse (Age: 35)
What: Blogging expert (www.problogger.net)
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December 25th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
It’s interesting to see a couple of websites under blogspot and another one under typepad.
Proves that a personal domain name is not a necessity for success and popularity online.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:08 am
yeah! also perez is last year’s Yahoo!’s #1 blog!
December 29th, 2007 at 2:54 am
Exactly. More than the domain name, the site content and the blogger’s authority in the subject come ahead. Again, this levels the playing field because this means that just about anyone can be a popular blogger — with or without his own domain name.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:59 am
Galing nga ni Perez Hilton e. Sulat ka lang ng mga showbiz tsismis, manlait ng mga artista at mag-post ng nakakatawa at/o kakaibang pictures ng celebrities, sikat na blogger ka na!
December 29th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
darren only #25?
March 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I was inspired seeing blogspot blogs on the top 25. I feel inspired ;D Thanks for sharing. Why is Darren at #25?