There is a special place in history for personalities who didn’t die of old age. These people continue to cast a shadow on the world long after they died, not just because of what they did while they were alive, but because even when they are not around, they still get people to wonder how things could be different.
These people inspire not just the indicative (what they have done) but also the subjunctive (what would they have done?).
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman… They all continue to haunt our thoughts. Just last week, I was wondering what Feynman would have thought of CERN scientists breaking the speed of light. I’m sure it would have been inspirational, modest and full of insight. And who knows, maybe this breakthrough would have happened earlier if Feynman were still alive?
Steve Jobs joins this very select club. Of course, innovation will keep happening and awesome products will keep shipping, but each of them will be overlooked by Jobs’ aura. Would Steve Jobs have done it differently? How much of this product was influenced by Jobs, explicitly or implicitly?
Steve Jobs isn’t done changing the tech landscape and the way we view products, he’s just no longer around to see the results of his work.
Still… What a sad, sad day.
#1 by Donna Burke on October 6, 2011 - 11:51 am
Steve’s passing (I refer to him as though we were friends) has been so surreal. I know I’m not the only one who is feeling this way based on tweets, FB, and more. I hope Steve knew how much of an impact he made on all of our lives before his passing. RIP Steve.
#2 by Jordi on October 7, 2011 - 12:42 am
I can’t believe that, being a programmer, you didn’t include Alan Turing in that list. I always wonder how much (more) he would have done for computer science and artificial intelligence.
But of course this day (yesterday actually) is all about Steve Jobs. I agree fully with your assessment that people will keep wondering for a long time what other innovations and iGadgets he would have produced. I was surprised to see how much the news of Jobs’ passing saddened me, because I’m not really an Apple fan. However, I recognize that the world has lost an innovative, eccentric, interesting, genius individual far too soon.
RIP Steve Jobs.
#3 by David Biesack on October 7, 2011 - 7:02 am
btw, the artist is jonathan mak – http://jmak.tumblr.com/post/9377189056
and I’d add Jim Henson to the list 😎
#4 by Tarun on October 8, 2011 - 8:33 pm
Some how this image reminds me of Gandhi!!!
#5 by anilizaignacio on October 13, 2011 - 4:58 pm
Nice article, I definitely agree you on this, Yeah, it is true that when people die they are still here with us because they still want to live with us but unfortunately everything will be change.