A question of ethics
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 1:34 pm
I've written a php program that provides really useful information for users that they can't easily get anywhere else.
Now I find myself in a moral dilemma.
The script begins its process by scraping Google's search results. It makes just one automated call on Google, but even that seems to be against their rules.
I would have loved to use the Google API but they don't seem to provide the keys anymore, so scraping is the only way I can think of to ge the data that my script needs to work on.
My dilemma is this: is it right to sell a script (or even give it away) to people if I know that it breaks Google's ToS - and could get their IP blocked.
Sure, I can tell them that this is a possibility up front, and I would, but what long-term effects would Google's IP blocking have on a person's domain?
I have to say that in writing and testing my script, I've run it thousands of times over the last few months with no problems from Google at all - but with the big G you just never know!
Any thoughts on the subject would be gratefully received.
Now I find myself in a moral dilemma.
The script begins its process by scraping Google's search results. It makes just one automated call on Google, but even that seems to be against their rules.
I would have loved to use the Google API but they don't seem to provide the keys anymore, so scraping is the only way I can think of to ge the data that my script needs to work on.
My dilemma is this: is it right to sell a script (or even give it away) to people if I know that it breaks Google's ToS - and could get their IP blocked.
Sure, I can tell them that this is a possibility up front, and I would, but what long-term effects would Google's IP blocking have on a person's domain?
I have to say that in writing and testing my script, I've run it thousands of times over the last few months with no problems from Google at all - but with the big G you just never know!
Any thoughts on the subject would be gratefully received.