| This article, at a site maintained by iMakeNews.com, discusses using the Internet to find pricing information. The Internet introduces a database of pricing unlike anything previously available. However, the database is scattered, and to get to it manually requires a lot of tedious work. Internet retailers only give prices, on possible product purchases, one at a time, so a lot of clicking is required, to build up much of a database. Also, some products and services (e.g. airline ticketing) require a choice of associated selections before a final price will be calculated, based on the selections. The article mentions that Internet “harvesting”, “mining”, or “farming” tools can automate the process. The article also discusses how some companies must submit their prices to government regulatory agencies, which then are made publicly available on the agencies’ websites. An example is telecommunications companies and the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, often the companies’ submissions can be complicated. Web harvesting tools can also be used here. |