It depends, there are certain people whose opinion I respect more than others.

Tech celebrities are a bit different from regular celebrities. It's (usually) not about what they look like and I'm sure most people you ask wouldn't know who someone like Joel Spolsky was anyway. With nothing else to go by, I would respect Joel's opinion far more than someone I've never spoken to before.

If Bill Gates started commenting here, I'd certainly be paying attention. :)

Healthy or not, it's human.

So are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Saying "it's human" means "it's easy to do this," and is too often an excuse for not-so-excusable behavior.

I think inquiring about notable figures in the fields and industries in which many of us here find sustenance could hardly be considered 'not-so-excusable'. Branding said inquirers as fanboys seems pretty inexcusable to me.