Web Scraping 101 -> P1
let's Talk About One Of most undervalued skill in data science !
What's Web Scraping?
Web scraping is a process of extracting data from websites. It involves making HTTP requests to a website's server to retrieve the HTML or XML source code and then parsing that code to extract the data of interest.
Web scraping can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as :
collecting data for data analysis or machine learning.
tracking prices or stock data.
automating tasks such as filling out online forms or creating accounts.
Illegality Of Web Scraping!
It's important to note that web scraping may be considered a violation of a website's terms of service, and it may also be illegal in some jurisdictions. Web scraping can also put a strain on a website's server, so it's generally a good idea to be respectful and considerate when scraping websites.
What a web scraping can even do !?
Web scrapers have been known to cause problems on websites, such as by making too many requests and causing the server to crash, or by extracting and storing large amounts of data that the website's owner did not intend to share.
Some web scrapers have been designed to mimic human behavior, such as by using a real browser and simulating mouse clicks and keyboard input. This can be used to bypass anti-scraping measures, but it can also be comically ineffective, as the scraper may end up performing strange or unexpected actions.
è Web scrapers have been used for both legitimate and nefarious purposes, such as by companies looking to gather competitive intelligence or by hackers looking to steal sensitive information.