Originally Posted by arg

Locking is very different from parking. It always has been, and they're not even similar, so I think you either misunderstood before, or else you read something from someone who was misinformed.

Parking typically means setting a domain name's web site to a simple web site, usually just one page...often registrars have a "free parking page" that will say something like "coming soon! meanwhile click on one of these links!"

Locking means setting a domain's status to "REGISTRAR-LOCK" so that it cannot easily be transferred between registrars. It can be transferred between accounts at the same registrar, but can't leave the registrar until it has been changed from status "REGISTRAR-LOCK" to status "ACTIVE." Some registrars use different terminology than "locking," referring to it instead as securing or protecting a domain. Some registrars also implement their own version of locking, and prohibit use of ICANN's locking mechanism. And some add extra protection on top of ICANN's locking mechanism. Dotster's namesafe is an example of added protection...for $10/year extra, namesafe also blocks hijacking from other Dotster customers, as opposed to just locking inter-registrar transfers.