The general populace generally doesn’t pay any attention to any statements from any employees of any company. Those in the tech industry generally don’t pay any attention to statements from any employees of any company outside the tech industry. Being aware of statements from employees does not appear to be a factor in terms of trust in a company.
I read GP's post (and hence my reply) as being about sentiment here on HN. Obviously I agree that the general public's opinion of Apple isn't heavily influenced by meetup speeches and Gruber's blog :P
