Jobs and Torvalds top Agenda Setters readers' vote

It's official: Steve Jobs is this year's most influential individual in high-tech - silicon.com's panel of experts decided as much in September and voting over the past five weeks by readers has now delivered the same result.

silicon.com's Agenda Setters poll is an annual list of the 50 most influential people in technology, voted for because of their global decision-making prowess and longevity. The full line up is here or at www.siliconagendasetters.com.

Readers' other favourites, in second and third positions, were open source kingpin Linus Torvalds and Steve Linford, the founder of anti-spam venture Spamhaus.

While the silver and bronze medal positions were taken by Bill Gates and the BBC's Greg Dyke in the main poll, and the people's choices of Jobs and Torvalds are hardly that surprising, the appearance of Linford - who came in at 19 on the main list - is somewhat surprising, though it does point to the profile spam elimination has taken this year and his sterling efforts.

One in 10 votes by silicon.com readers were for individuals not on the experts' top 50. Of those, free software legend - Richard Stallman - picked up most ticks, registering around half as many as third-placed Linford.

The Agenda Setters special report will return this time next year. In the meantime, click here for a shortcut straight to the top 50.