Scraping What!?
Source: Wired 01.08 “Just After 10 am on June 7, 2007.”
The term “scraping” is defined in this Wired article as, “the act of automatically harvesting information from another site and using the results for sometimes nefarious activities”. Scraping has been a primary tool for social networks like MySpace and FaceBook, however, not all sites welcome scraping. The example referenced on June 7, 2007 is Craig’s List. The founder of a listpic site drawing from Craig’s List was notified that he was infringing on copyright regulations. Some companies welcome listpics because they feel they give them more exposure and happier clients. Others, like Craig’s List, complains that it causes high demands on the site and, in this particular case, the listpic was selling advertising space, which is what Craig’s List was created to avoid. The listpic creators do not necessary take performance optimization into consideration, which can create overloads on the parent sites. Security needs to be placed on these databases if scrapers are to be kept out. API’s (application protocol interfaces) are one way sites are banning scrapers. API’s allow developers to use the site under a watchful eye, and their individual rights can be taken away at any time, for any reason. The cost to prevent scrapers, however, can sometimes be greater than the cost to allow them, which is another reason why some companies turn a blind eye.
