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The technique of web scraping is a variant of data scraping and involves using bots to extract all of the content and public data from a website and replicate it in another location.
In this technique, bots will extract the HMTL code from a page, successfully finding the data stored in a database. Keep in mind that web scraping is different from screen scraping, another variation where bots capture the screen. If you are here and want to know the myths about web scratching, you have come to the right place.
Here are 10 Myths About Web Scraping
1. It is forbidden to retrieve data from the Internet
Many people have misconceptions about web scratching. This is because some people disregard the great work that has been done on the internet and profit from it by stealing the content. Web scraping is not per se illegal; the problem arises when users use it without the consent of the site owner and in violation of the terms of use (terms of use).
According to the report, the misuse of content through web scraping could lead to a 2% loss in online sales. Web scraping is covered by legal restrictions, despite the absence of a law and specific conditions to manage its application.
2. The terms “web scraping” and “web crawling” are interchangeable
Web scraping is the process of extracting specific data from a selected web page, such as sales leads, real estate listings, and product prices. Search engines, meanwhile, crisscross the web. It crawls and indexes the entire website including internal links. “Crawler” is a program that browses web pages without a defined goal in mind.
3. Any website can be scratched
People frequently ask web scraping services for email addresses, Facebook posts, and LinkedIn information. Before doing web scraping, it is crucial to consider the following principles, according to an article titled “Is web crawling legal?”
- Scraping of private data that requires usernames and passwords is not possible.
- Compliance with ToS (Terms of Service), which expressly prohibits web scraping.
- Protected data should not be copied.
Several laws can be used to prosecute the same person. One, for example, slipped some confidential information and sold it to a third party despite the site owner’s cease and desist order. Property trespassing, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) violation, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) violation, and embezzlement are all possible costs for that person.
This does not rule out the possibility of scrapping social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Scratching services respecting the restrictions of the robots.txt file are welcome. Before engaging in any automated data collection behavior on Facebook, you must first obtain written permission from the company.
4. You must know how to code
Non-tech professions such as marketers, statisticians, financial consultants, bitcoin investors, academics, journalists and others benefit greatly from using a web scraping tool (data mining tool). ). Octoparse has introduced a one-of-a-kind tool called Web Scratch Templates, which are preformatted scrapers that cover over 14 categories on over 30 websites including Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, eBay, Instagram, and others.
Without any complicated task settings, all you need to do is insert the keywords / URLs into the parameter. Python web scraping takes a long time. A web scraping template, on the other hand, is a quick and easy way to get the data you need.
5. The deleted data can be used for various purposes
Scraping of website data for public consumption and use for analysis is completely lawful. On the other hand, scraping confidential documents for profit is not legal. It is forbidden to scrape private contact information without permission and sell it to a third party for profit, for example.
Additionally, repackaging recovered content like yours without reference to the original source is unethical. You should adhere to the principle that no spam, plagiarism or fraudulent use of data is permitted by law.
6. A web scraper is versatile
Perhaps you have come across websites that change their layout or structure from time to time. Don’t get frustrated if your scraper fails to read a website for the second time. There are many explanations for this. It is not always triggered by being identified as a suspicious bot. Different geolocations or access to machines could be involved. It is customary for a web scraper not to scan the website under these circumstances before making the change.
7. You can scratch at high speed
You may have noticed some scraper ads touting the speed of their crawlers. It looks promising, as they claim to be able to collect data in seconds. You, on the other hand, are the offender who will be prosecuted if you cause damage. This is because a scalable data request coming in at a high rate can overload a web server, potentially resulting in a server crash.
Under the “Trespassing on Personal Property†Act, the person is liable for the harm in this circumstance (Dryer and Stockton 2013). If you are unsure whether a website can be scratched, there are many data integration solutions that can help you visualize and analyze data. There are many of web scratching companies that are in charge of ensuring consumer enjoyment in the first place.
8. Web scraping and API are the same things
APIs work as a channel through which you can submit data requests to a web server and get the information you need. The data will be returned in JSON format using the HTTP protocol. The Facebook API, Twitter API, and Instagram API are just a few examples. However, this does not mean that you will receive the data you request. Because it allows you to interact with web pages, web scraping can help you visualize the process.
9. Scraped data only works for our business after it has been cleaned and analyzed.
There are many data integration solutions that can help with data visualization and analysis. Data scraping, on the other hand, does not appear to have a direct impact on business decision making. Web scraping gathers raw data from a web page that must be analyzed in order to obtain information such as sentiment analysis. In the hands of gold miners, however, some raw data can be incredibly useful.
10. Web scraping can only be used for commercial purposes.
Besides lead generation, web scraping is used in various industries such as price monitoring, price tracking, and market analysis for businesses. Students can also conduct paper research using a Google Scholar web scraping template. Real estate agents can undertake housing research and forecast housing market trends. By collecting news media and RSS feeds, you will be able to locate YouTube stars or Twitter evangelists to promote your business or your own news aggregator that only covers the topics you want.
Posted on July 17, 2021
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