lock-in
Secured rate guarantee
Lock-in is a situation where switching to an alternative becomes difficult or costly after committing to a particular system, vendor, or technology: vendor lock-in makes it expensive to migrate to a new platform.
The term appears frequently in business and technology contexts.
A lock-in is also an event where participants stay overnight in a venue—churches and schools hold youth lock-ins as supervised social gatherings.
To lock in a rate or price is to secure it against future changes: We locked in our mortgage rate before it went up.
Legally owned, restricted use
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- platformRaised flat structure
- interoperabilityCross-platform functional harmony
- compatibilityMutual suitability between things
legacy · monopoly · standards · integration · adoption · migration · dependency · subscription
Enforceable written agreement
- agreementShared position between parties
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- bindingLegally or morally required
- pledgeBinding promise given
term · clause · penalty · subscription · retainer · exclusive · non-compete · guaranteed
Key-operated door lock
- latchDoor-securing catch
- boltThreaded rod for nuts
- cylinderCircular-based solid form
- tumblerFlat-bottomed drinking vessel
keyhole · engaged · secured · fastened · mechanism · hasp · catch · snap
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- detentionTemporary official holding
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- curfewMandated return time
shelter-in-place · sequestration · seclusion · enclosure · restriction · captivity · imprisonment · internment
proprietary
Legally owned, restricted use
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- platformRaised flat structure
- interoperabilityCross-platform functional harmony
compatibility · legacy · monopoly · standards · integration · adoption · migration · dependency · subscription · contract
contract
Enforceable written agreement
- agreementShared position between parties
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- bindingLegally or morally required
pledge · term · clause · penalty · subscription · retainer · exclusive · non-compete · guaranteed · fixed-term
deadbolt
Key-operated door lock
tumbler · keyhole · engaged · secured · fastened · mechanism · hasp · catch · snap · click
quarantine
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- detentionTemporary official holding
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
curfew · shelter-in-place · sequestration · seclusion · enclosure · restriction · captivity · imprisonment · internment · custody
- bar culturebar counter, bar tab, bar tabs, bar stools, bar rail
- youth eventsbirthday party, field trip, summer camp, sleepover, school dance
- drinking partieskegger, booze-up, keg party, pub crawl, booze cruise
- Platform Economymarketplace, network effects, gig economy, digital marketplaces, sharing economy
- lock-inpath dependence, entrenchment, irreversibility, network effects, legacy systems
- network effectscritical mass, virality, nodes, connections, winner-take-all
lock-infreedom
Absence of constraint
flexibility · optionality · free choice · portability · liberation
lock-incancel anytime
End subscription without penalty
month-to-month · at-will · flexible terms · non-binding · no strings attached