• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 329 0

who no longer experience the thrill of solving a problem or using a technology for the first time. Without a little fun, it's easy for developers to get bored and conclude that software is simply a sequence of instructions that do the same thing every time a program runs. While predictability makes software dependable, it also makes it tiresome to write. This is especially true for computer programmers who specialize in a specific industry and lack diversity in tasks. At some point in their careers, nearly all of the programmers I know have become very tired of what they do, in spite of the fact that they still like to write computer programs.

Webbots, however, are almost like games, in that they can pleasantly surprise their developers with their unpredictability. This is because webbots operate on data that changes frequently, and they respond slightly differently every time they run. As a result, webbots become impulsive and lifelike. Unlike other software, webbots feel organic! Once you write a webbot that does something wonderfully unexpected, you'll have a hard time describing the experience to those writing traditional software applications.

Webbots Facilitate "Constructive Hacking"

By its strict definition, hacking is the process of creatively using technology for a purpose other than the one originally intended. By using web pages, news groups, email, or other online technology in unintended ways, you join the ranks of innovators that combine and alter existing technology to create totally new and useful tools. You'll also broaden the possibilities for using the Internet.

Unfortunately, hacking also has a dark side, popularized by stories of people breaking into systems, stealing private data, and rendering online services unusable. While some people do write destructive webbots, I don't condone that type of behavior here. In fact, Chapter 28 is dedicated to this very subject.

What's in It for Business Leaders?

Few businesses gain a competitive advantage simply by using the Internet. Today, businesses need a unique online strategy to gain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, most businesses limit their online strategy to a website—which, barring some visual design differences, essentially functions like all the other websites within the industry.

Customize the Internet for Your Business

Most of the webbot projects I've developed are for business leaders who've become frustrated with the Internet as it is. They want added automation and decision-making capability on the websites they use to run their businesses. Essentially, they want webbots that customize other people's websites (and the data those sites contain) for the specific way they do business. Progressive businesses use webbots to improve their online experience, optimizing how they buy things, how they gather facts, how they're notified when things change, and how to enforce business rules when making online purchases.

Businesses that use webbots aren't limited to envisioning the Internet as a set of websites that are accessed by browsers. Instead, they see the Internet as a stockpile of varied resources that they can customize (using webbots) to serve their specific needs.

There has always been a lag between when people figure out how to do something manually and when they figure out how to automate the process. Just as chainsaws replaced axes and as sewing machines superseded needles and thimbles, it is only natural to assume that new (automated) methods for interacting with the Internet will follow the methods we use today. The companies that develop these processes will be the first to enjoy the competitive advantage created by their vision.

Capitalize on the Public's Inexperience with Webbots

Most people have very little experience using the Internet with anything other than a browser, and even if people have used other Internet clients like email or news readers, they have never thought about how their online experience could be improved through automation. For most, it just hasn't been an issue.

For businesspeople, blind allegiance