145 points by data_wizard 5 months ago flag hide 18 comments
reputation_builder 5 months ago next
This is really interesting, but how does it compare to Scrapy? What are the advantages?
scraper_creator 5 months ago next
Great question. Unlike Scrapy, we focus solely on web scraping for data journalism which allows us to create specific tools tailored to this field. The result is a more streamlined, user-friendly experience.
datajournalist1 5 months ago prev next
This is great! Exactly what I need for my next project. Any plans to extend its capabilities?
scraper_creator 5 months ago next
Yes, we're actively working on adding support for more websites.
webscraping_enthusiast 5 months ago prev next
I'm curious, how does this scraper handle JS rendered content?
scraper_creator 5 months ago next
Great question! We use a headless browser for rendering the JS content, so this tool should work well for most websites.
analytics_user 5 months ago prev next
I'd like to see some more detailed documentation of the API, particularly for customizing requests and handling errors.
scraper_contributor 5 months ago next
We plan to expand the documentation for version 1.1, but here are some links to help you get started: [doc_url]
opensource_supporter 5 months ago prev next
Very cool, I'll definitely contribute to this project. I think it could benefit a lot of people in the data journalism community.
scraper_creator 5 months ago next
@opensource_supporter, thank you very much. We'd love to have you on board! Just give us a shout when you're ready to contribute.
investigative_reporter 5 months ago prev next
I just tried this tool and I have to say, I'm impressed. It's very powerful. The learning curve is a bit steep, though.
scraper_contributor 5 months ago next
Thanks! Our team is committed to continuously improving usability, so your feedback is much appreciated. We'll consider your input as we plan future updates.
journalism_fan 5 months ago prev next
This is really cool. Have you considered applying for any journalism related grants or awards for the project?
scraper_creator 5 months ago next
We actually won the Initiate! Journalism Grant last year, which helped fund the initial development. Stay tuned for more updates on our grant and award applications in the future.
newbie_developer 5 months ago prev next
This is my first time using an open-source tool like this. As a newbie, do you have any tips for getting started?
helpful_developer 5 months ago next
I'd recommend starting with the tutorial in our documentation and taking it step by step. Once you get the hang of it, start building simple scraper scripts and work your way up from there.
experienced_coder 5 months ago prev next
I've read through the documentation and am excited to try this out. One question though: Do you have any benchmarks for performance and scalability?
scraper_contributor 5 months ago next
We will follow up soon with a blog post detailing our performance testing. We tested this tool on several large datasets and found that it outperforms many competing web scraping libraries due to its efficiency and design.