Glossary of Jargon for Internet Marketers

Welcome to our collection of unusual, trendy, jargon or just plain confusing language on the Internet, and our interpretation of their meaning.

You are invited to contribute your suggestions via email or by commenting on this page.

Internet natives

Internet natives are people who have grown up with sufficient experience of the Internet that they function in online environments with comfort-levels comparable to, or even exceeding, their familiarity interacting in the non-virtual (real) world.  The term is sometimes also applied to persons who have developed sufficient expertise and confidence online that they are indistinguishable from ‘natural’ Internet natives.

Proprietary

Proprietary is an adjective that indicates private ownership.  In the case of proprietary information like the source code for software, proprietary rights are enforceable and the owner of the code is able to charge license fees for the use of the software.  There are a number of alternatives to proprietary information that have gained popularity in recent times including the creative commons license, and the open-source movement, both of which crowd-source development for users by users.  Wikipedia has been very successful using the creative commons license model and some established Silicon Valley IT companies have also followed suit.

Public Domain

Public domain refers to published information that is not privately owned nor has any enforceable rights.  Public domain information can be used by anyone for any purpose including by a company that seeks to profit from the information.