763: Web Scraping + Reverse Engineering APIs

This podcast episode delves into the topic of web scraping and reverse engineering APIs. The hosts discuss the importance of tools like Sentry in identifying and resolving issues caused by bots and unexpected code paths. They highlight the value of insights provided by Sentry and share anecdotes related to charity auctions and tax write-offs. The episode explores the legality of web scraping, shares personal experiences with scraping for various purposes, and emphasizes the significance of data extraction for AI models. The hosts also discuss techniques and challenges involved in web scraping, including reverse engineering private APIs and using headless browsers. They highlight the benefits of end-to-end testing and introduce Linkedom as a package for working with the DOM on the server side. The podcast episode also touches on topics like using XPath and AI for data manipulation, the need for a standardized file API, working with protected routes in fetch requests, and the ethical aspects of bypassing CAPTCHAs. The conversation concludes with discussions on innovative technology in grocery shopping, cleaning tools for keyboards and screens, and window management apps.