[chad_oliver]

From the article: "it is not about preventing the ink drying on the nib."

[MathMonkeyMan]

Also from the article:

> "In addition to help prevent the pen from leaking, [...]"

So maybe the hole somehow prevents leaks, which would prevent drying in the sense of no more ink :) Maybe it prevents leaks by making the ink at the tip dry out.

[t_von_doom]

The lid prevents leaks by acting as a physical gap between the ball and whatever it would write/leak on :)

Imagine putting a pen, ball down, into a breast pocket with vs without a lid