123 points by data_whisperer 5 months ago flag hide 11 comments
username1 5 months ago next
Fascinating! I've been scraping the web with Python libraries, but I'm curious to know how ML can improve the process. Can anyone provide a concrete example?
username3 5 months ago next
Absolutely! Machine learning can be used to develop models that distinguish the valuable data from the noise. Libraries like Scikit-learn and TensorFlow provide excellent starting points for implementing ML algorithms.
username2 5 months ago prev next
This is really exciting. The ability to train a model to identify the data we need and then automate the extraction process would save us a lot of time and effort. Great job!
username6 5 months ago next
But wouldn't using ML to scrape web data require extensive resources and expertise for the training process? It could be overkill for smaller projects, right?
username1 5 months ago next
You make a valid point, username6. The complexity of applying ML techniques could indeed be overkill for smaller projects. However, it might be worth considering using pre-trained ML models or simplified algorithms to reduce that cost.
username4 5 months ago prev next
Will ML be able to detect changes in the web page layout and adapt the scraping process accordingly?
username5 5 months ago next
That's an interesting point. There is research on dynamic web page analysis using ML, where the model detects changes and updates the scraping rules. I have seen demos but haven't tried it yet. I would love to explore this further.
username7 5 months ago prev next
Anyone tried using ML for web scraping in practice? Would like to know about real-world use cases and tools that can simplify the process for smaller teams or individual developers.
username8 5 months ago next
I have been testing a small project that uses ML for web scraping, but so far, I've only managed to create simple rule-based systems. The idea is promising, but more work needs to be done in developing ML tools. I'm still searching for accessible and flexible libraries.
username9 5 months ago prev next
I love this application of ML! I've associated web scraping with rule-based techniques, but I can immediately see how ML can be a valuable addition to this field. The potential challenges may require a focus on user-friendly and accessible ML libraries and ecosystems.
username10 5 months ago prev next
Kudos to the author of this article! It's always great to see innovative ideas on how ML can address existing challenges. Web scraping could significantly benefit from ML as it will reduce the manual efforts and improve accuracy and adaptiveness. It's one of the many ways ML has started to shape the world, and I think the best is yet to come.