A few survey questions about collecting data via the web:<p>Do you have experience with people using web scraping commercially?<p>What field or industry was it being used in?<p>Do you think it fell in a 'grey' area, or was it explicitly disallowed or allowed?<p>Thanks for any info!
Yes I had done web scrapping commercially, sometime back when I had just left college. I had to scrap website(s) for getting data about all pharma products available in india. So basically market research. But as soon as I realized this was against TOS of the website, i deleted all data and communicated this to client. I had to discard the contract and return even the previous payments.
Although I am happy that I did. :)
[1] - Yes<p>[2] - Lead generation, selling data, consumer + market research<p>[3] - I think it is always a gray area with regards to another site's TOS. But the burden of proof is on them, not the scraper. That and masking your scrapers is too easy.