WEB SCRAPPING

"Lately, I’ve been doing some web scraping projects and spending time learning more about it, but I keep wondering if I’m wasting my time. Is web scraping actually useful for companies? Can I get a job with web scraping skills? And what’s the best language for it — Python or Node.js? These questions are always on my mind. I wonder if anyone else has gone through the same thing.
28 Replies
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
web scraping is of questionable legality, depending on what you do with the content
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
the best language is legalise, allowing you to scrape the website you probably can get a job with web scraping: there's lots of shady companies that do that but, if those companies are shady and slimy enough to use web scraping for things they aren't allowed to, you think they also won't be shady and slimy with your paycheck?
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
your right, but scrapping allows me to understand the website and also programming i just do it for fun
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
no, it doesn't all you understand is how to find elements you practice a little of the language and that's it
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
im also learning C because university but i dont is the way i want to go its very hard what do you think about C pointers
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
depends
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
all that stuff is hard
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
in what context?
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
and i cant find a good project
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
yeah, I agree it's probably not good practice to learn web development. There's nothing terribly wrong with web scraping for personal projects, but anything that starts making money is going to get shut down in a hurry.
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
other languages have something similar, but they call it "references", which aren't exactly the same usually with a very strongly worded letter
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
written by a lawyer something with "CEASE AND DESIST" on the top of the letter
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
or a gaggle of them
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
(unless they just IP-ban you)
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
or do both
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
in university i need to choose between programming side or IT side (cloud, network, infrestracture, etc) what do you think ?
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
C is a language that has its uses still. It's still likely a good teaching tool, but it's very limited and there's a lot of better tools for almost all the tasks it used to be used for
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
it's still very prevalent in embed systems
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
entirely up to you and what you would like to do 🤷
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
and hardware too but rust is slowly creeping over
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
and pretty much nowhere else
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
yes but i never try nothing about IT but think its good
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
try it then, on your own try to setup some docker and play about with it just have a field day or 2, trying a few things
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
but like... learning a language like C will introduce you to concepts that will translate to different languages. Programming languages aren't like regular ones. I don't get a massive bonus to learning Italian just because I speak Dutch. But with programming, 95+% of what you're learning is how to solve problems and break them down into manageable chunks. The concepts of how you accomplish those chunks translate almost entirely between different languages
DoContra
DoContraOP2w ago
docker is used in both sides
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
that's very true
Jochem
Jochem2w ago
like, I'm convinced I could write something in Rust, if I could write it in javascript, simply because I can just google syntax and built-in methods we're getting very off topic for the original topic of the thread though...
ἔρως
ἔρως2w ago
yup, we are in short: scrapping bad, usually not legal, avoid it

Did you find this page helpful?