Hacks #33-42

The easiest data to scrape and spider is entire files, not the specific information within. With one line of download code, you can have the grandeur of a movie, the sound of music, or the beauty of an image. Getting to that one line of power, however, often involves some detective work: finding out exactly where your desired files are stored, and the simplest and laziest way of getting your own copy.

In this chapter, we'll explore the techniques for building your media collection, by archiving freeware clipart, watching old movies from the Library of Congress, or saving historic images from a scenic web cam.