I originally intended to include this in another post. When I realized the list was going to get very long I decided to split it off. This is a part of my #appreciationfriday that I replaced #ff on Twitter with. Partially inspired by a recent Chris Brogan blog post but also part of my dedication to the Amplify community. I want to let you know, please do not feel bad if you are a friend of mine on Amplify and not on my list. I am starting on the last page of sources which were the first people I followed and picking people that are active and influence me as I work backwards on the list. If the title of my article was confusing I think this will help:

If your name is here, I am paying attention to what you are doing because you do something that helps me discover new ways to do things, inspires me or sometimes entertains me. I hope other people benefit from your information as well:

Dave Grossman – Incredibly personable and part of the Amplify.com team. One of those guys you just want to meet for a beer after reading a few of his posts. Very genuine and fun, I suspect also a good friend of Eric, am I right? One of the very first people I followed on the site.

Flamplog – my Italian friend who never ceases to amaze me with his posts about Social Media, Mobile Phones, Marketing and Web 2.0 apps. He also has some extremely funny posts with a very European tilt.

Eric Goldstein… Inside my head – Eric is the CEO of Amplify.com and definitely the heart of the site. His passion, intelligence and appreciation of conversation are inspiring. He is a must follow and big up and comer in the Social Media industry as the leader of the talented Amplify.com team.

Danielle Ricks Productions – Video Producer, Social Media consultant, aspiring novelist, and blogger living life for the joy and laughter. I really enjoy Danielle’s perspective on many subjects.

Shashi Bellamkonda – Thoughts, Learning & Serving. Shashi’s top tag is “business” and it fits. Shashi is a great guy for business people to follow and plenty of others.  Great posts on PR, Social Media, and much more!

Shonali Burke – Great insights on PR/Social Media. I appreciate her distinctive insight on issues that often have a great angle with regards to gender. Informative and enjoyable material.

Delilah Jones – I know Delilah is in marketing/PR but I know her more for her work with Peace4Missing with someone else who will soon be showing up on the list.

Dave Yankowiak – another genuine easy going guy. Extremely talented and capable, Dave was one of the first people I hired to do work from me through social media (unless you count IRC back in the 90’s). I always enjoy Dave’s posts and look forward to working with him on more projects.

There are so many great people on Amplify, I will be adding many more! I would be happy if others did this as well, I am really curious who people follow and why. This really helps me find more quality sources in a world where your sources matter a lot more than your followers.

Updates 8/6/2010

Paul Simbeck-Hampson – Paul is a personal and engaging fellow, he is also a very long standing Amplify.com user that was one of the first people I followed when I joined the site. Paul’s content can be a little eclectic and I enjoy that. Some times you just don’t know what you will find. Visit Paul’s website at simbeckhampson.com.

Daniel Durrant – Daniel is a very erudite individual. He is part of the Open Intelligence group on Amplify.com. I always appreciate Daniel’s perspective on issues and I can count on him to be honest and thought provoking. Visit Daniel’s website at danieldurrant.com.

Ben Jackson – Ben is a real life friend that I am happy joined Amplify.com. I think Ben is a real up and coming person in Social Media, Business, and Life. He’s a great guy to follow and converse with. I am fortunate to work with Ben on a regular basis. Visit Ben’s blog at captainjackson.wordpress.com.

Xan Pearson – Xan was one of my favorite tweeps and I was very happy when she joined Amplify.com. Xan is authentic, bright and produces great quality content. Xan is exceptional at showing appreciation for others and ranks among the most personable people I’ve met via Social Media. Visit Xan’s blog at xanpearson.wordpress.com.

Ramon B. Nuez Jr. I share a lot of interests with Ramon so I frequently recommend and comment on his posts. I get a lot of my #mobile info from his amplog. Also a fellow podcaster, family man and supporter of charitable efforts. You can also check out his companies website at newmediabrief.com.

Warren Whitlock Warren’s posts represent some popular content that I have been missing being less active on Twitter in recent history. Warren is also very passionate about Social Media and offers a lot more commentary per post than most people on Amplify. The extra commentary improves the value of his posts for me. I also know who to talk to if I ever decide to write a book! Check out Warren’s website bestsellerauthors.com.

I didn’t get to everyone I had hoped to this morning, but here are some quick links and expect detail later for: Diane Rayfield, Kathy Jacobs, Tim Southernwood, Svartling, Alcanzarlo, Alex Schleber and many others, hang in there friends I will definitely get you added soon.