Basics of Online Web Research, Web Mining & Data Extraction Services

The evolution of the World Wide Web and Search engines has brought the abundant and ever growing pile of data and information on our finger tips. It has now become a popular and important resource for doing information research and analysis.

Today, Web research services are becoming more and more complicated. It involves various factors such as business intelligence and web interaction to deliver desired results.

Web Researchers can retrieve web data using search engines (keyword queries) or browsing specific web resources. However, these methods are not effective. Keyword search gives a large chunk of irrelevant data. Since each webpage contains several outbound links it is difficult to extract data by browsing too.

Web mining is classified into web content mining, web usage mining and web structure mining. Content mining focuses on the search and retrieval of information from web. Usage mining extract and analyzes user behavior. Structure mining deals with the structure of hyperlinks.

Web mining services can be divided into three subtasks:

Information Retrieval (IR): The purpose of this subtask is to automatically find all relevant information and filter out irrelevant ones. It uses various Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc and other resources to find the required information.

Generalization: The goal of this subtask is to explore users' interest using data extraction methods such as clustering and association rules. Since web data are dynamic and inaccurate, it is difficult to apply traditional data mining techniques directly on the raw data.

Data Validation (DV): It tries to uncover knowledge from the data provided by former tasks. Researcher can test various models, simulate them and finally validate given web information for consistency.

Should you have any queries regarding Web research or Data mining applications, please feel free to contact us. We would be pleased to answer each of your queries in detail. Find more information at http://www.outsourcingwebresearch.com

Richard Kaith is member of Web Research services team at Outsourcing Web Research firm - an established BPO company offering effective Web Data mining, Data extraction and Web research services at affordable rates. For any queries visit us at http://www.outsourcingwebresearch.com


Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Basics-of-Online-Web-Research,-Web-Mining-and-Data-Extraction-Services&id=4511101

Assuring Scraping Success with Proxy Data Scraping

Have you ever heard of "Data Scraping?" Data Scraping is the process of collecting useful data that has been placed in the public domain of the internet (private areas too if conditions are met) and storing it in databases or spreadsheets for later use in various applications. Data Scraping technology is not new and many a successful businessman has made his fortune by taking advantage of data scraping technology.

Sometimes website owners may not derive much pleasure from automated harvesting of their data. Webmasters have learned to disallow web scrapers access to their websites by using tools or methods that block certain ip addresses from retrieving website content. Data scrapers are left with the choice to either target a different website, or to move the harvesting script from computer to computer using a different IP address each time and extract as much data as possible until all of the scraper's computers are eventually blocked.

Thankfully there is a modern solution to this problem. Proxy Data Scraping technology solves the problem by using proxy IP addresses. Every time your data scraping program executes an extraction from a website, the website thinks it is coming from a different IP address. To the website owner, proxy data scraping simply looks like a short period of increased traffic from all around the world. They have very limited and tedious ways of blocking such a script but more importantly -- most of the time, they simply won't know they are being scraped.

You may now be asking yourself, "Where can I get Proxy Data Scraping Technology for my project?" The "do-it-yourself" solution is, rather unfortunately, not simple at all. Setting up a proxy data scraping network takes a lot of time and requires that you either own a bunch of IP addresses and suitable servers to be used as proxies, not to mention the IT guru you need to get everything configured properly. You could consider renting proxy servers from select hosting providers, but that option tends to be quite pricey but arguably better than the alternative: dangerous and unreliable (but free) public proxy servers.

There are literally thousands of free proxy servers located around the globe that are simple enough to use. The trick however is finding them. Many sites list hundreds of servers, but locating one that is working, open, and supports the type of protocols you need can be a lesson in persistence, trial, and error. However if you do succeed in discovering a pool of working public proxies, there are still inherent dangers of using them. First off, you don't know who the server belongs to or what activities are going on elsewhere on the server. Sending sensitive requests or data through a public proxy is a bad idea. It is fairly easy for a proxy server to capture any information you send through it or that it sends back to you. If you choose the public proxy method, make sure you never send any transaction through that might compromise you or anyone else in case disreputable people are made aware of the data.

A less risky scenario for proxy data scraping is to rent a rotating proxy connection that cycles through a large number of private IP addresses. There are several of these companies available that claim to delete all web traffic logs which allows you to anonymously harvest the web with minimal threat of reprisal. Companies such as http://www.Anonymizer.com offer large scale anonymous proxy solutions, but often carry a fairly hefty setup fee to get you going.

The other advantage is that companies who own such networks can often help you design and implementation of a custom proxy data scraping program instead of trying to work with a generic scraping bot. After performing a simple Google search, I quickly found one company (www.ScrapeGoat.com) that provides anonymous proxy server access for data scraping purposes. Or, according to their website, if you want to make your life even easier, ScrapeGoat can extract the data for you and deliver it in a variety of different formats often before you could even finish configuring your off the shelf data scraping program.

Whichever path you choose for your proxy data scraping needs, don't let a few simple tricks thwart you from accessing all the wonderful information stored on the world wide web!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Assuring-Scraping-Success-with-Proxy-Data-Scraping&id=248993

Securing a partnership with Urbanspoon: lessons from Dimmi CEO Stevan Premutico

Australian online restaurant booking service Dimmi has announced a new partnership with Urbanspoon, the international restaurant review and recommendation service.

The partnership will provide Urbanspoon with access to the 2,500 restaurants in the Dimmi database. For Dimmi, it will boost its traffic considerably, by enabling bookings to be made via Urbanspoon, one of the world’s largest restaurant review platforms. Urbanspoon will now receive a commission for any successful Dimmi bookings made through its site.

“In San Francisco more than 50% of bookings are made online, whereas in Australia it’s only 3%,” says Stevan Premutico, CEO of Dimmi.

“If you look at other verticals it’s much higher. For hotels, 50% of bookings are made online, for airlines it’s 60%. Restaurants still have a long way to go.”

Dimmi launched three years ago, and earlier this year raised an undisclosed amount from Telstra and Village Roadshow. Dimmi was Telstra’s first Australian investment. The telco had reportedly set aside $50 million to invest in new technologies. It had previously led a $35 million investment round in U.S. company Ooyala.

While the money has helped Dimmi grow, it seems the company’s partnerships might hold the key to its success. Dimmi has existing partnerships with the major Australian restaurant and booking review sites including Optus, Fairfax, Lastminute.com.au, and NineMSN. FLT understands another significant announcement is planned for the coming weeks.

Restaurants currently pay between $1-3 per successful booking. Working with partner companies is one of the key sales channels for Dimmi. While Premutico won’t provide details on the breakdown, he says there are three ways people come to the platform: through Dimmi Direct (the company’s own website), through partner sites like Urbanspoon, or directly from restaurants’ websites. He says the partnerships are one of the key parts of the business model.

“It’s like building a mountain,” says Premutico. “When we started we were a single chunk, working on building the number of customers. What we did was work with partners where we literally plugged into all these brands.”

The Urbanspoon deal was six months in the making and Premutico says he has learnt some lessons along the way.
Negotiating a deal with an international partner

    Have something valuable to offer. Dimmi was able to offer Urbanspoon access to 2,500 restaurants. The company now books a table in Australia every fifteen seconds, and has seated three million diners so far. For Urbanspoon, Dimmi could provide a service which was a positive for its users, and had a commercial benefit;
    Find a brand match. Premutico says when dealing with an established brand you need to consider how carefully it is managed. Whether it’s Fairfax or Urbanspoon, each company will be protective of its brand. Because of this, it can take a while to build a relationship. Premutico says a larger company will want to see that you have a long-term vision, are well funded and have traction. The calibre of the Dimmi board helped demonstrate the company’s strength;
    Make sure there’s a cultural fit. While Urbanspoon is now owned by the IAC group of companies, Premutico says it still runs like a startup. It moves fast and is entrepreneurial, and that makes Dimmi a natural cultural fit;
    Complimentary expertise. Urbanspoon is one of the most trafficked restaurant review sites in Australia, and Dimmi can provide a booking service with a commercial benefit for Urbanspoon. The arrangement is a win-win for both companies.

One of the biggest challenge was figuring out who to talk to, says Premutico. In the end an introduction to Urbanspoon came from none other than Barry Diller, the president of IAC.

“From that point on it was two dogs in a park sniffing out each other. They liked what they saw, and once we got past the first dating stage it was a go.”

Dimmi’s board members include divisional director for Macquarie Capital Advisors Glen Butler, LinkedIn managing director for Australia and New Zealand Cliff Rosenberg, and Operations head for Facebook William Easton.

The company recently launched Dimmi Specials, a new service, described as an ‘off-peak marketing tool’. Premutico says just 36% of restaurant tables are booked, and Dimmi Specials is aimed at improving that figure, by offering discounts to patrons when restaurants are quiet. It worked closely with Urbanspoon to develop the idea, and Premutico says the take up has been promising.

Dimmi only operates in Australia, but there are plans to look at other markets in the future. Premutico says with more people using mobile search, booking online is the easiest way to reserve a table.

“The plan at the moment is to get more people booking online. Currently, between 6-10 calls to restaurants are not answered.”

Source: http://fromlittlethings.co/2012/12/03/securing-a-partnership-with-urbanspoon-lessons-from-dimmi-ceo-stevan-premutico/

Urbanspoon Toasts America's Most Popular Restaurant Bars

SEATTLE, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Urbanspoon, the leading mobile restaurant discovery application and reservation management system, today announced their list of Urbanspoon's Most Popular Restaurant Bars, just in time for America's favorite drinking holiday, Saint Patrick's Day. Featuring 200 of the most popular locations within the Urbanspoon community, the list includes a wide range of establishments from across the U.S. that will satisfy diners' thirst with top-notch libations.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110831/LA60178LOGO)

"Many people don't think of the food when thinking about bars, but Urbanspoon community does!" said Patrick O'Donnell, Urbanspoon. "Whether you are on the hunt for a craft cocktail inspired by the Saint Patrick's Day or some good food to eat with a pint of beer from a local sports bar for March Madness, this list includes 200 bar options nationwide."

Urbanspoon's Most Popular Restaurant Bars spans 101 cities across 33 states. The selected bars that made the list received the most coverage and reviews from professional food critics, bloggers, the Urbanspoon community, and diners. Florida claims the most spots on the lineup with 31 entries, ranging from high-end restaurants to speakeasys to Irish pubs. Ohio and Missouri also scored a high amount of entries, with 14 and 13 respectively.

Beer proved to be a popular and defining feature for a number of the selected watering holes. Restaurants and breweries that feature 10+ beers on tap or those that provide European or domestic specialty beers score high marks within the Urbanspoon community. On the liquor side, restaurants that offer specialty cocktail programs, house-infused spirits and simplified takes on classics like martinis are also featured heavily throughout the list.

The complete list is included below and is available online at: http://www.urbanspoon.com/blog/161/Urbanspoon-Toasts-Americas-Most-Popular-Restaurant-Bars.html

Alaska
Anchorage
Glacier BrewHouse
Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria

Alabama
Birmingham
FIVE - Birmingham
Overtime Bar
Rojo
Slice Stone Pizza & Brew

Fairhope
Gambino's Italian Grill

Arkansas
Bentonville
Pressroom

Little Rock
The Pantry Restaurant

Arizona
Tucson
HUB Restaurant & Creamery

California
La Jolla
George's At The Cove

Los Angeles
Bottega Louie
UMAMIcatessen

San Francisco
State Bird Provisions
The Corner Store

Colorado
Boulder
Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery

Denver
Colt & Gray
Linger
Osteria Marco
Root Down
Steuben's Food Service

Florida
Atlantic Beach
Culhane's Irish Pub & Restaurant
Poe's Tavern

Boca Raton
Rebel House

Clearwater
Kingfish Grill and Tap House

Destin
McGuire's Irish Pub of Destin

Jacksonville
Kickbacks Gastropub
Orsay

Jacksonville Beach
KC Crave

Miami
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink
The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions

Miami Beach
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

Ocoee
Red Eye Bar and Grill

Orange Park
Brewer's Pizza

Orlando
Hawkers Asian Street Fare
Oblivion Taproom
Seasons 52 Fresh Grill
The Pub Orlando

Pensacola
McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery

Pensacola Beach
The Grand Marlin

Sanford
Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe

Santa Rosa Beach
Local Catch Bar & Grill
The Red Bar

St Augustine
Black Molly Grill

Tallahassee
Wells Brothers "Monk's"

Tampa
Ciros Speakeasy and Supper Club
Grille 54
Mr. Dunderbak's

Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Tavern

Winter Park
The Ravenous Pig
Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen

Ybor City
Gaspar's Grotto

Georgia
Atlanta
Holeman & Finch Public House
Two Urban Licks
Vortex Bar & Grill

Decatur
Brick Store Pub
Leon's Full Service

Savannah
Crystal Beer Parlor
Green Truck Pub
Maxwell's
The Distillery

Hawaii
Kailua Kona
Kona Brewing Company

Illinios
Chicago
Au Cheval
Frontera Grill
Girl & the Goat
Kuma's Corner
The Gage
The Publican
The Purple Pig

Edwardsville
Cleveland-Heath

Indiana
Bloomington
Yogi's Grill & Bar

Indianapolis
BRU Burger Bar
St. Elmo Steak House

Westfield
The Local Eatery and Pub

Kansas
Wichita
Anchor

Kentucky
Covington
Wunderbar!

Louisville
Hammerheads
Havana Rumba Cuban Restaurant
St. Charles Exchange
Varanese

Louisiana
Monroe
Cotton

New Orleans
Cochon
Company Burger
Coop's Place
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Port of Call
The Rum House
Yo Mama's Bar & Grill

Michigan
Detroit
Slows Bar BQ

Royal Oak
Red Coat Tavern

Minnesota
Minneapolis
112 Eatery
Bar La Grassa
George & the Dragon
Tilia

Missouri
Columbia
Flat Branch Pub & Brewing

Florissant
Ruiz Mexican Restaurant

Kansas City
Beer Kitchen
Grinders
Remedy Food and Drink

Lee's Summit
Stuey McBrews

St Louis
Anthonino's Taverna
Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar
Dressel's Public House
O'Shay's Pub
Schlafly Tap Room
Square One Brewery & Distillery
Tuscan Tavern and Grill

Mississippi
Hattiesburg
Keg and Barrel

North Carolina
Asheville
Curate

Carolina Beach
Hoplite Pub and Beer Garden

Charlotte
Chima Brazilian Steakhouse
The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

Huntersville
Baja Soul Taqueria

Mooresville
Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse

Nebraska
Omaha
Blatt Beer & Table
Dario's Brasserie
Lot 2 Restaurant and Wine Bar
Mantra

New Mexico
Albuquerque
Nexus Brewery

New York
Fairport
Chakara Bistro & Bar

New York
Balthazar
Carmine's
The Spotted Pig

Syracuse
Dinosaur BBQ

Ohio
Akron
The Rail

Cincinnati
A Tavola
Adriatico's Pizza
Bakersfield OTR
Nada
Senate
Taste of Belgium Bistro
Terry's Turf Club

Cleveland
Jezebels Bayou
Tremont Tap House

Dublin
101 Beer Kitchen

Lakewood
Buckeye Beer Engine

North Olmsted
Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon

Toledo
Bar 145

Oklahoma
Broken Arrow
Main Street Tavern

Norman
Das Boot Camp Restaurant & Bar

Oklahoma City
Picasso Cafe
RePUBlic Gastropub
S&B Burger Joint
The Mule

Tulsa
Kilkenny's Irish Pub & Eatery
McNellie's Public House

Oregon
Portland
Mother's Bistro & Bar
Pambiche
Portland City Grill
Veritable Quandary

Pennsylvania
Homestead
Blue Dust

North Fayette Twp
Bocktown Beer and Grill

Pittsburgh
Burgatory Bar
D's Six Pax & Dogz
Dish Osteria & Bar
Fat Head's Saloon
Harris Grill
James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy
Kaya
Piper's Pub

South Carolina
Charleston
Co
High Cotton

Greenville
The Trappe Door

Sullivan's Island
Poe's Tavern

Tennessee
Chattanooga
Brewhaus
The Terminal Brewhouse
Tremont Tavern
Urban Stack

Clarksville
Black Horse Pub & Brewery

Knoxville
Central Flats and Taps
Downtown Grill & Brewery

Memphis
Bardog Tavern

Nashville
The Southern Steak & Oyster

Signal Mountain
Pepper Jack's

Texas
Amarillo
575 Pizzeria

Austin
Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

Fort Worth
Rodeo Goat

Keller
FnG Eats

Plano
Whiskey Cake

San Antonio
Rosario's Mexican Cafe y Cantina
Texas de Brazil
The Cove
The Esquire Tavern
Two Step Restaurant and Cantina

Virginia
Hampton
Park Lane Tavern

Portsmouth
Still - Worldly Eclectic Tapas

Richmond
Burger Bach

Virginia Beach
Woody McGees Barstro

Washington
Seattle
Bitterroot BBQ
Metropolitan Grill
Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge

Spokane
Clover
The Flying Goat
Wild Sage American Bistro

Washington DC
Founding Farmers
Old Ebbitt Grill

Wisconsin
Madison
The Old Fashioned

Milwaukee
Cafe Benelux
La Merenda
Odd Duck

Urbanspoon is a leading online local restaurant guide that aggregates reviews professional food critics, bloggers and diners. Available online, through its popular iPhone, Android, Blackberry and now iPad applications, Urbanspoon provides reviews for restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Urbanspoon is an operating business of IAC. For more information, visit www.urbanspoon.com.

Source URL: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urbanspoon-toasts-americas-most-popular-restaurant-bars-197465841.html