Two GCC stories

That reputation could be used as a tool to accomplish something worth more than the time spent to develop it. This is social engineering. Access to the development of GCC could (paranoia talking) be a stepping stone to compromising a wide variety of software.

In addition, you are assuming that the resulting identity would be 'trashed'. A clever intruder would not expose him (or her) self as a wrongdoer (where is the gain in that), but would act in secret. You might never discover their actions.

Online identity and reputation is worth something; no question. But you place too high a value on it in my opinion.