Digested

I once heard a radio show describing an ant that lives in the South American rain forests whose bite is so painful that all the creatures of the forest steer clear of it's nests. If a man is bitten, a multple day coma ensues where one is writhing in pain. The idea is that large animals in their carelessness can damage a nest, and the only defense against either purposeful or inadvertent damage is a bite that definitely gets attention.

Free software is paradoxically fragile like an ant that can be crushed, but if roused to bite can inflict serious damage. Think SCO vs. Groklaw. Anyone who ignores the license requirements of the GPL and gets a friendly visit from Eben Moglen learns that it is much easier to steer clear of license violations.

To a lesser degree, the Apple khtml saga illustrates the sharp edge of free software, and used effectively can keep others from inadvertently damaging a project. A little prick here and there can get needed attention.

Then there is the annoying prickishness of someone like Larry McVoy who seems to purposely stir up the nest for no reason.