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I'd personally go for Satoshi or/and Edward Snowden.
Edward Snowden.
Nice idea, but let's clarify, it should be someone in technology, as opposed to politics or entertainment.
I nominate Bret Victor.
Bret Victor has been fantastic inspiration for me. I believed no programming video can make my jaw drop any longer, but Bret pulled it off. Hugely recommended: http://vimeo.com/71278954
Aesthetics can be fun and entertaining, but a video has to have some new and novel ideas before its called jaw dropping.
Edward Snowden
I nominate Satoshi Nakamoto.
Satoshi Nakamoto is not a real person.
Well, if this is modeled after the Times' POY, then it's perfectly fitting. Former winners include You, The Protester, The American soldier, The Middle Americans, The Computer, etc.
I know that. I mean to say 'Creator of Bitcoin'.
Bill Gates
Satoshi couldn't be person of the year, he hasn't been heard from since '10! /s
And there is a chance he is not person.
That didn't stop TIME magazine in 2011 ("The Protestor"), or 2006 ("You").
DPR
I second the nomination of The Dread Pirate Roberts.
Richard Stallman
Aaron Swartz
Is this a HN person, or any person selected by HN? I think the former would be more interesting.
Elon Musk - SpaceX and Tesla have been on HN pretty consistently this year, and it's an inspiring option, too.
Snowden is not a bad choice, especially since he'll probably be snubbed by the Times in favor of the politically safe Miley Cyrus, but he's not really in tech. Satoshi Nakamoto should have been the HN POY last year (or next year once BTC goes really mainstream).
How can you say Snowden is not "in tech"? He revealed the entire global internet to be something different than we thought it was. It is political but that doesn't mean it's not technology.
There's no question that the information he leaked concerns technology, but at the same time it's clear this is a throughly political problem. So that's how I can say that Snowden is not in tech, because he's not and the whole NSA storyline is only incidentally about tech. Believe me, I'm as pissed off about the whole affair as anyone, but this is a world stage event and I was thinking a HN POY could be, at least in principle, "one of our own", as poorly defined as that concept might be.
On the flip side, getting a job working at the NSA and smuggling out hundreds of Top Secret documents, talking to a bunch of reporters across the globe to orchestrate a controlled release of the information, all while seeking asylum and evading capture is a pretty neat hack.
since you put it that way, I agree also.
Michael O Church.
Edward Snowden definitely, not for only personal acts but as an icon. This year has definitely been a year of surveillance scandals and we can all thank this man for taking the brave step and showing light on what governments really do. Small step for a man, giant leap for mankind, no less.
Satoshi Nakamoto
let's drive BTC up to $10,000 before the crash!
I'm guessing you have a few you'd like to cash in on? ;)
Unfortunately not. I just enjoy watching technology eclipse another aspect of society.
I don't feel comfortable voting unless you make me log in with Facebook or Twitter...
That was a great way for Time to ensure that not a single vote would be cast for Snowden.
He was still winning the other day, so I'm not sure how that was a great way to keep people from voting for him.
NSA
Edward Snowden / Bret Victor / Elon Musk.
Aaron Swartz
Reg Braithwaite
Edward Snowden, undoubtly
Edward Snowden
Someone with sufficient karma should take the results here and re-post this as a poll.
As requested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294
Elon Musk, in my opinion. He is my modern day hero.
Lonnie Johnson http://www.ajc.com/news/business/super-soaker-creator-awarde...
Elon Musk, by far.
Bitcoin. easy.
Narendra Modi.
We are suggesting 'Hacker News Person Of the Year', not 'Politician of the Year'. 'Narendra Modi' is nominated for 'TIME’s Person of the Year'. http://ti.me/1i3OkHT
Narendra Modi
It's a toss up between Snowden and Elon Musk. While I do believe Elon Musk will change the world we live in tomorrow, Snowden has dramatically changed our perception of the world we live in today.
http://www.narendramodi.in/category/testimonials/
Jack Dorsey
The suggestions made here in an HN Poll:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294
Elon Musk
1. Elon Musk
2. Satoshi Nakamoto
3. Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden.
Lot's of Elon Musk's though. Let's vote him as Person of the Century.
POY: the nucleus group of Aaron Swartz, Edward Snowden, and someone we should not forget to thank, Assange. Where, pray tell, would we be without them?
Aaron Swartz Edward Snowden
Elon Musk.
Snowden isn't real, a 'Facebook Ghost Profile' is.
Elon Musk for sure.
Edward Snowden
The answers here expose the lack of gratitude and ethical backbone of certain HN readers. Snowden risked his life to expose the surveillance programs of the most powerful countries in the world. You could argue he did more for civil liberties than any other human being thats ever lived.
No one else even comes close in terms of taking personal risk for the benefit of the world.
Snowden FTW.
John Carmack, leaving Id and join Oculus was awesome.