Chapter 27. KILLING SPIDERS

Thus far, we have talked about how to create effective, stealthy, and smart webbots. However, there is also a market for developers who create countermeasures that defend websites from webbots and spiders. These opportunities exist because sometimes website owners want to shield their sites from webbots and spiders for these purposes:

  • Protect intellectual property

  • Shield email addresses from spammers

  • Regulate how often the website is used

  • Create a level playing field for all users

The first three items in this list are fairly obvious, but the fourth is more complicated. Believe it or not, creating a level playing field is one of the main reasons web developers cite for attempting to ban webbots from their sites. Online ...

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