Unsurprisingly, I, like many others, use the internet to connect, aggregate, and experience content. This is a (subjective) list of the creators I enjoy. These will be divided up into categories (Music, Art, Writing, Political, etc). The category at the very top will be the most important (to the point that I would willingly financially support them). This list is non-exhaustive and will be expanded upon as time goes by.
Richard Stallman and his Free Software project has been one of the most important movements in computer history and my life. Stallman's movement directly influences my day-to-day life as I use programs and software directly from this movement, in relation to this movement, or that has spirit of the moment. I also release most, if not all, of my work under a libre license (the GPL being a major one) to give back to what his movement has offered. His work has greatly impacted the way I think of information, technology, freedom, and privacy. While I may not agree on everything he says, he is still a respectable man for his service to free software.
While a literal who to most people, or a funny joke to throw around on /g/, Luke Smith has been a major reason why I have adopted minimalistic software, have wrote my own scripts,and have founded this website (so much so that I took his .css files to remix into my own). He is a great teacher, great script writer, great video creator, and a great advocate for minimalism and free software. While (yet again) I do not agree exactly with him, he has had a positive impact on many people when it comes down to showing and teaching technology.
While some of the things this man has said aren't the most agreeable, his book "Democracy: The God That Failed" serves as a valid critique of the democratic system and its way of governing from a libertarian perspective. What he has wrote has influenced my questioning of our current system in favor of something else. His other works I am interested in getting my hands on when I have the time.
While Uncle Ted is usually the butt-end of an anprim joke or hated as a ruthless killer, what he has to say in relation to our society has high merit and value. His critiques of a post-industrial world allow one to see beyond a surface level of what technology has done to us and peer a bit into the psychology of why. Of course, this is more of a manifesto focusing on critique than a proper assessment of how to fix it (Ted gives that privilege to us), but it does open one's eye to the issues that lie in technological reliance. What I have derived from his work is to be fearful of technology's ability to turn you into a tool, though I would suggest anyone to read it and draw their own conclusions. A supplied magnet link is here.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Quebec Post rock band based in Montreal. They're one of the forerunners in the post-rock scene and are what personally got me into the genre. The band uses instrumentation and sampling to paint a bleak picture of the world, yet somehow fill it with kernels of hope. Allowing them to blend two contrary ideas, pessimism and optimism. The band is predominantly Anarchist in political ideology (easily seen through their Album Lucifarian Towers). The band introduced me into one of my favorite genres of music while telling a story with just clips and noise. They're albums are masterfully made and I suggest anyone to give a listen to "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven" if they have an hour to lie down and enjoy something.
C418 is an electronic artist known best for his work on his work on the ambient masterpiece that is the Minecraft OST. While I consider it his strongest work (listening to the album multiple times a month) his other works are fantastic too. I would love suggestions for similar music to dabble into.
While considered a joke by many, his musical merit must be respected. With releases like "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and "The Life Of Pablo", his talent must be respected. The mix of choir music, samples, and rap makes an interesting combination for Kanye to spread his message and his story. If you agree with either is up to you, but one must at least listen to it before making a judgment.