The last time I wrote about the death of an individual for the technology column, it was about the assassination of Osama bin Laden and how modern technology has shaped the way the news spreads. The news broke again in the same way, through social media outlets. But instead of a sense of vindication, there was a ubiquitous sense of harrowing loss. Of course, I’m referring to the passing of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

This news mainly broke on Twitter, where incredulity was more common than acceptance. Online news sources had stories up within 10 minutes to meet the demands of ravenous readers. Servers crashed, Twitter lagged and in an instant, people grasped just how influential an effect Jobs has had on our lives.

The response from big names in policy and technology was staggering. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, said, ‘Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.’

President Barack Obama mourned the loss as well.

‘Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it.’

Alyssa Henry, a graduate student in the School of Information Studies studying information management, shared similar sentiments.

‘Steve Jobs made technology accessible to my generation; he also made it cool to be techie. I think Jobs, beyond his innovative use of technology, was an inspirational person,’ she said. ‘He spoke about being unique and striving to be different and finding success on your own terms.’

So what exactly is it that made Jobs so revolutionary? His visionary ideas enabled him to be an innovator, coupled with the moxie to be a true leader. He had the innate ability to predict what would best serve the American people before they themselves knew what they wanted. Coupled with his unique outlook on life, Jobs released technology through Apple that has changed the day-to-day lives of a technology consumer.

All of these traits can be picked apart when his biography is released Oct. 24. And if that’s not enough, Sony is set to acquire the rights to his biography to make a film based on Jobs’ life.

As the flowers of Jobs’ makeshift memorials wilt and the last of the candles flicker out, there is already talk of who will be the next big name in technology. Holding true to the very essence of technology, things move fast in this market and an empty helm is never a desirable sight.

Brad McCarty, a writer for the popular online tech publication ‘The Next Web,’ asked his varied and opinionated readership to weigh in on the next technology titan. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com received an overwhelmingly popular response. Zuckerberg and Google’s Larry Page also gained several mentions in this unceremonious poll.

But in their responses, flaws of these characters accompanied their names right alongside their nominations. Zuckerberg? Talk about awkward. Bezos doesn’t have the style and gusto needed to fill Jobs’ shoes. And Page? Not nearly in tune enough with the demands of modern technology consumers — at least not on the innovative level that Jobs set the bar.

When it comes down to it, there are no viable candidates. Jobs is irreplaceable, a man whose whole equated to much more than the sum of his parts. He was truly one of a kind.

Henry summed it up best.

‘A man like Steve Jobs doesn’t come around very often. He had a way of thinking about technology and about life that made him a figure that won’t soon be forgotten,’ she said. ‘Steve Jobs managed to do something that very few people did: He created a legacy.’

Jessica Smith is a senior information management and technology and television, radio and film major. Her column appears every Tuesday. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

Published on October 10, 2011 at 12:00 pm