What is AggData?

AggData is short for aggregate data, which means a set of data that is collected together in one place. On this site, the AggData will come in the form of a list of records, where each record has details about a specific object in the group. For example, a set of AggData to describe countries would be a list of every country in the world, perhaps with details such as capital city, land area, population, and so forth. The raw data might look like the following:

Afghanistan, Kabul, 647,500 sq km, 31,056,997
Albania, Tirana, 28,748 sq km, 3,581,655
Algeria, Algiers, 2,381,740 sq km, 32,930,091
...

and so on. While of this information is already publicly available on the web, the advantage of AggData is that the data is collected into one file that is very raw and portable, which makes it easy to integrate into any application or website.

Why do I need AggData?

I'm not about to list here the ways in which AggData can be used, mainly because I don't think the list would end. I don't want to put ideas in your head; I think you all have enough creative juice on your own. I will however, describe what I think are the two overlying techniques to using AggData effectively.

• Internally - You may need the data internally, meaning you and/or your company are the main users of it. Perhaps you need a certain dataset for an application you're building, or you need a list of locations for marketing purposes. Maybe it's just information you regularly use, and you don't want to be always scouring the web for the same thing.
• Externally - It seems that today, if you want to make money on the web and you don't have a product to sell, you have two choices. You can either provide a service people want, or provide data in an easily accessible and usable format. AggData helps you with this second choice. It is true that any data on this site is already out there on the web, but chances are, you have a much better way of providing and displaying it to users. Sure, a major retail chain may list out all of their store locations and make them searchable by zip code, but you have an interactive Google Map with each location pinpointed directly. People want their information in the most comfortable way possible. I know you have a great idea or two, but just don't have the time to go copy and paste every single piece of data you need. That's where AggData comes in.

Now, I'm a very big supporter of online communities and people helping people be creative and productive, so I am encouraging anyone who purchases AggData (or gets it for free) to comment on how they used the data they bought. Perhaps one of their ideas will spark an idea in your own mind.

How accurate/complete is the data?

When I collect a set of AggData, I am confident that it is 100% complete and accurate, as far as the source is complete and accurate. I am simply using tools to extract the data automatically from the web, so I can only guarantee as much accuracy and completeness as the source provides. However, I am very particular about making sure my sources are as official and as original as possible. For example, when getting listings for a retailer, such as Walmart, I go to that retailer's website (www.walmart.com) to collect information, and not some third-party business listing site.

Can I request a certain type of new AggData?

I currently have quite a long list of types of data that I would like to turn into AggData, so it's possible that your request is already in the queue. But I am always open to new suggestions which you can send to me using the Contact Page.

Will you create custom data that I can purchase?

I can create many types of custom lists for you or your company. Basically, anything that can be found on the web, I can collect and deliver to you. The cost will depend very much as to the difficulty of the site that I would be collecting data from. Simple custom lists start at $80. More complex projects will take on an hourly rate of $40 per work hour. Let me know what data you are interested in and I will give you a more detailed price and time quote.

The only requirement I have for custom data is that once I have completed with the data and delivered it to you, I can post the data (or some variation of the data) on this site to be sold at or below the price you paid for it.

How often do you update your data?

This depends solely on the nature of the data. If the data is inherently static, meaning it doesn't change very often, probably once or twice a year. If the data changes more often, then I will try to update it more often. Each details page for a set of AggData will have a "Creation Date", which indicates exactly when the data was last collected.

Can I request AggData to be updated?

Definitely. Just use my Contact Page to let me know which one you would like updated.

Will you promote my site that uses your AggData?

I would love to let people know how you used AggData. The best way to do this is for you to leave a comment on the AggData that you used, and feel free to link to your site. Then, as I work to get my site more traffic, it will in turn increase traffic to your own. Please do not leave spam comments, however. They will not get through, as I moderate the comments to decide which are published.

If you have any more questions or comments, feel free to contact me.