this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2023
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All the content, none of the Spez? Or, is it better if Lemmy stays distinct?

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[โ€“] MothBookkeeper 1 points 1 year ago

It's inconvenient, but not impossible. The content could be scraped instead of handed over directly via the API.

An explanation, if you're interested:

API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a way for two software applications to communicate with each other. APIs are often used to access data from websites. When you use an API, you are essentially asking the website for the data you need. The website will then provide the data to you in a format that your software can understand.

Web scraping is a process of extracting data from websites using automated tools. Web scrapers can be used to extract data from any website, regardless of whether the website has an API. However, web scraping can be more difficult and time-consuming than using an API.

In general, APIs are the preferred method for accessing data from websites. They are easier to use, more legal, and less likely to interfere with the website. However, web scraping can be used in cases where there is no API or where the API is not sufficient.