The mischievous process of data gathering

The internet and information technologies have bestowed upon us the gift that empowers progress and innovation – the superior means of data transmission and communication. The greatest achievements that revolutionize the world and satisfy the needs of the masses come from a collective effort of bright minds striving to leave their mark in history.

The importance of unity and shareable knowledge applies to achievements of different scales. From a small business idea to a multi-billion dollar empire, everyone can achieve their goals faster thanks to efficient methods of data collection and analysis.

In a modern business environment, the availability of public information levels out the playing field and improves competition – another factor that affects the rate of progress. However, the amount of easily accessible data on the web is greater than any human could process and utilize in multiple lifetimes.

Still, extractable and processable information should be treated as a resource. While our primitive brains cannot handle so much data, we have automatable technology solutions that speed up the process to filter out applicable knowledge.

Most modern companies strategize and seek advantages over competitors with web scrapers – automatable bots capable of extracting valuable information from the internet at a far greater pace than any human ever could. Over the last 2 decades, the value of information rose exponentially when the new methods of applicability began to surface. Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and machine learning depend on collected information to improve the functionality of automatable tools and robots.

In this article, we will focus on the darker side of data gathering. Because information is the fuel that ensures progress, many companies and business-oriented individuals are ready to go to extreme lengths to acquire valuable information. We will also address proxy servers – universal tools that can assist web scraping or protect your online identity. For example, a US proxy can hide your IP address and location and understanding the functionality of these servers will help you better comprehend the mischievous process of data gathering. To learn more about US proxies and servers in other locations, read up on Smartproxy – a legitimate server provider with informative blog articles and affordable deals if you need a US proxy right now. Without further ado, let’s discuss the peculiar process of data extraction.

How do web scrapers collect information?

Web scraping is a pretty simple step that serves as an introduction to data analysis. What makes the initial step of data extraction so appealing is its simplicity and submission to automation.

Once businesses or individuals have their selected web pages for extraction, web scrapers extract HTML code that is transmitted to parsers that organize information into a readable format that can be turned into knowledge. While most of these processes are performed simultaneously in our heads, dealing with larger amounts of data requires technical assistance, which cannot perform all of the segments at the same time.

Testing web scraping for yourself is easily achievable with plenty of educational material online. To give you the first taste of data extraction and manipulation, we recommend starting with Python and its open-source frameworks. With little programming knowledge, you can start writing code that will help you scrape and parse information from other websites.

Businesses that scrape their competitors and other websites of interest often encounter protections that can blacklist their IP addresses. To bypass these troubles, proxy servers mask the identity of scraping bots that allows them to continue their work despite potential obstacles.

Mischievous methods of data extraction

Web scraping is a popular and relatively harmless process that helps companies extract public information, but there are other disingenuous ways businesses and individuals gather data.

Social media platforms are diamond mines of valuable information. Because every user with a profile leaves tons of private, sometimes sensitive, data, the companies behind these networks can sell extremely valuable knowledge to third parties without disclosure. These unethical cases of data gathering not only infringe the privacy of users but also encourage further violations with no regard to our privacy. The necessity and greed for valuable information encourage the usage of other mischievous methods of data gathering.

To highlight the absurdity of this pursuit, great examples are seemingly innocent devices like drawing pads that manage to collect surprising amounts of public information during every user session. While we usually put under suspicion cheap Chinese products that are prone to unethical data gathering, similar behavior also affects widely respected hardware and software.

Once exposed, developers and manufacturers try to downplay the level of data gathering to avoid negative publicity and legal action. Unfortunately, the means of data extraction keep expanding from public websites to private sensors and IoT devices. Not only can they extract sensitive information without disclosure, but the security of poor products also leaves a lot of gaps for exploitation by hackers and other third parties.

In a world overwhelmed by ever-evolving technology, grasping the extent of data gathering can induce paranoia in the minds of internet users. While we can use privacy tools to minimize our digital footprint and keep up the fight for humane technology, the days of complete anonymity on the web are long gone. If internet privacy is a growing concern in your everyday life, make a conscious effort to minimize the use of social media networks and avoid internet of things devices at your home. Evaluate the dangers of private data exposure and compare it with the convenience of used hardware and or software to make a conscious, individual decision that will give you peace of mind.