Time is releasing this week its list of the world's mot influential people. (btw i bought the paper version -some old student habits- but the online version is way better and keeps its fresh look whenever you have a look at it...grrrrr..)
They don't help solving the 'influential' issue though ;-) They don't explain what 'influential' means other than ' ideas that are reshaping the world'. Yes i guess Osama bin Laden is kind of reshaping our world, same goes for Cate Blanchett (???)
I'm a bit disappointed they did not include their person of the year, the actors of the social media, You. But they do mention Steve Jobs (doh!), Chris Anderson (id.), Hurley&Chen and Rosedale (YouTube and Second Life builders), Pony Ma (Chinese social media hero) and Zeng Jinyan (Chinese famous 'protester' blogger).
Still, interesting reading, opening new dimensions...The only Watanabe i knew so far was Murakami's Norwegian Wood hero.