dsplaisted
03-13-2008, 05:10 AM
The current export functionality is not very useful for some people since it doesn't include the categories or tags for the transactions. I wrote a Greasemonkey (http://www.greasespot.net/) script which will do an export with this data included. I was planning on releasing it, but then I had a look at the Terms of Use (http://www.mint.com/terms.html#a-11):
11. Access and Interference
You agree that you will not:
Use any robot, spider, scraper, deep link or other similar automated data gathering or extraction tools, program, algorithm or methodology to access, acquire, copy or monitor Mint.com or any portion of Mint.com, without Mint’s express written consent, which may be withheld in Mint’s sole discretion;
Use or attempt to use any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (including without limitation browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate or search Mint.com, other than the search engines and search agents available through the Service and other than generally available third-party web browsers (such as Microsoft Explorer);
Post or transmit any file which contains viruses, worms, Trojan horses or any other contaminating or destructive features, or that otherwise interfere with the proper working of Mint.com or the Service; or
Attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse-engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of Mint.com or the Service.
Does this make my exporter against the terms of use? Right now it doesn't navigate the transaction list on its own. You have to manually page through all your transactions for it to pick them up. So you wouldn't really call it a robot, spider, or deep linker, although you might still call it a scraper.
If it is not against the terms of use now, would it be against the terms of use if I modified the script to automatically page through the transactions?
Even if using the script is against the terms of use, it doesn't look like there's anything in the terms of use to prevent me from distributing the script to other people, as long as I don't actually use it. Of course the terms would theoretically bar those people from using it...
I would appreciate a clarification on these issues, because it seems kind of contradictory to provide an export function that does not meet user's needs but prevent them from using one that would meet their needs.
Thanks,
Daniel
11. Access and Interference
You agree that you will not:
Use any robot, spider, scraper, deep link or other similar automated data gathering or extraction tools, program, algorithm or methodology to access, acquire, copy or monitor Mint.com or any portion of Mint.com, without Mint’s express written consent, which may be withheld in Mint’s sole discretion;
Use or attempt to use any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (including without limitation browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate or search Mint.com, other than the search engines and search agents available through the Service and other than generally available third-party web browsers (such as Microsoft Explorer);
Post or transmit any file which contains viruses, worms, Trojan horses or any other contaminating or destructive features, or that otherwise interfere with the proper working of Mint.com or the Service; or
Attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse-engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of Mint.com or the Service.
Does this make my exporter against the terms of use? Right now it doesn't navigate the transaction list on its own. You have to manually page through all your transactions for it to pick them up. So you wouldn't really call it a robot, spider, or deep linker, although you might still call it a scraper.
If it is not against the terms of use now, would it be against the terms of use if I modified the script to automatically page through the transactions?
Even if using the script is against the terms of use, it doesn't look like there's anything in the terms of use to prevent me from distributing the script to other people, as long as I don't actually use it. Of course the terms would theoretically bar those people from using it...
I would appreciate a clarification on these issues, because it seems kind of contradictory to provide an export function that does not meet user's needs but prevent them from using one that would meet their needs.
Thanks,
Daniel