Bruce Perens has written an allegorical piece that is useful in explaining the Novell-Microsoft deal to the general public.

Once upon a time there was a software company called Novell. Novell had a friend "Big Mike" who was always getting in trouble with the law, but he was strong and had a big business. Big Mike was making big noises, threatening to beat up Novell's customers. So, Novell made a financial deal with Big Mike so that he'd promise not to beat up Novell's customers, but would instead threaten the customers of all of Novell's competitors.

If you want to hear what happens to Novell and Big Mike, head on over to Bruce's site: technocrat.net for the thrilling conclusion...