My observation is that most of these people are simple-minded ignorant characters who need someone to 'drill' the facts into their head.
This statement comes as a surprise from you. Why is everybody expected to know about gnu or freedom (software) when everyone is not from the computer software field and has switched over from windows to linux as an operating system only. Ideologies take time to get induced and spread.
Hehehehe... Arey I have seen Computer Science & Engineering majors and their teachers make such 'mistakes' or even graver ones. People of this category often talk about GCC, GNOME, GRUB, BASH, blah blah... without ever realising that GNU does have something to do with it. I have a guy who keeps chasing me to fix some issue with his GRUB, but I bet he has no idea about the GPL or RMS.
Talking about the common man, many of them are quite familiar about Linux, but no inkling about GNU. They think Linus Torvalds is this amazing programmer, and I would not be suprised if they said "Hacker to Ankit Fadia hai bhai, yeh Richard Stallman koun hai?"
This is sick, because if it was not for the GNU and its GPL then even the Linux kernel would not have here as it is today.
Regards, Debarshi