Note: FLOSS is an acronym that stands for Free, Libre, and Open Source Software.

Imagine you run small company in the dental products industry. You have a great idea for how to improve floss, and you also want all of humanity to have better hygiene. So you call your floss "FLOSS floss", and release as much as you can about FLOSS floss under licenses like Creative Commons and GNU GPL. This also gives you a supreme marketing pitch: "Floss FLOSS floss!"

As we all know, the world is not always a happy place. It so happens that the dental products market is very competitive. MouthSoft, Inc., is the eight-hundred pound gorilla here. MouthSoft doesn't really like floss, and they like FLOSS even less. MouthSoft, of course, makes MS MouthWash. Every few months, MouthSoft funds analyst reports comparing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of MS MouthWash with that of FLOSS floss. Somehow, MS MouthWash always ends up the winner.

MouthSoft has become increasingly worried about MouthWash piracy. It has recently instituted a program whereby MouthSoft must receive a set of your dental X-rays before you may open a bottle of MS MouthWash. If you buy a new mirror for your bathroom, you may need to resubmit your X-rays. People are starting to regret buying MS MouthWash, but most have installed special MouthWash compatible faucets. Since MouthSoft does not follow open plumbing standards, you might say these poor individuals are locked in (the bathroom). To make matters worse, under the banner of Trusted Dentistry, MouthSoft is introducing Digital Tooth Management, which allows MouthSoft and its partners to further restrict the ways dental products may be used.

A company called Orange, formerly a niche competitor, is offering a much better tasting mouthwash, and many industry pundits think that MouthSoft may be in trouble (MouthSoft's most recent version of MouthWash has been suffering horrible delays, and may no longer include promised anti-bacterial features). But wise dentists are reminding their patients that if they don't use FLOSS floss, they risk the same problems with Orange as they had with MouthSoft.

As you may have guessed, this story does not have an ending. But it does have a moral. Floss FLOSS floss!

PS: Thanks #summer-discuss! You know who you are ;)