sargstuff on Ask HN: Web scraping in production?

Comment on Ask HN: Web scraping in production?

excel web scraping[0] (vs. using python[1] and/or odbc/delimited files)

A few 2025 use cases [2],[3]:

   Use publically available database information (construction, taxes, sales, traffic report, proposed building/zone changes, etc) to find out what's going on withing an area aka. zip code, housing area, 'vacation spot', etc

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   creative take on topic:

      modern looming / static 'threaded' approach : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43977384

      Structurally reprogrammable magnetic maetamaterials hold promise for biomedicine, soft robotics. ("web" support formed via scraping material in relevant patterns) : https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-reprogrammable-magnetic-metamaterials-biomedicine-soft.html

      3d printed smart-fabrics : https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-d-smart-fabrics-flexibility-ability.html

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[0] : excel scraping : https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6coVzIt93vk

[1] : python scraping : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo8-nEuDBkk

[2] : https://dataforest.ai/blog/top-web-scraping-use-cases

[3] : https://www.parsehub.com/blog/web-scraping-examples/

arkmmOP1y

Neat - didn't realize there were affordances for scraping in Excel (but in hindsight I shouldn't be surprised).

I didn't follow the connection between modern looming and scraping though?

sargstuff 1y

hint: silk spider webs & fabric threads.

Guess 3d printing should have been clarified as linear, fused deposition. Melted plastic line gets scraped along plate/material.

The 3d printed web reference, in this instance, being the in-fill pattern. [0]