System and method for aggregating ratings for media content

A system comprising:

• a central server with a first processor and a first memory, the first processor to cause the central server to:
• access a plurality of sources of ratings of media content;
• for each one of the plurality of sources of ratings, determine whether the central server is authorized to import the ratings via an API;
• when the central server is authorized to import the ratings via an API, import the ratings from the source of ratings via the API, and when the central server is not authorized to import the ratings via the API, import the ratings from the source of ratings via one or more data scraping techniques;
• save the imported ratings in a database;
• hash the imported ratings to generate a first hash;
• calculate combined ratings for the media content based on the imported ratings in the database;
• re-access the source of ratings;
• hash the re-accessed ratings to generate a second hash;
• compare the first hashes to the second hash;
• in response to the first hash differing from the second hash:
• updating the saved imported ratings in the database with the re-accessed ratings and recalculating the combined ratings;
• and
• an article dispensing machine with a second processor and second memory, the second processor to cause the article dispensing machine to:
• receiving the combined ratings for the media content from the central server;
• display a selection of the media content based on the combined ratings and which media articles corresponding to the media content are located within the article dispensing machine;
• and
• in response to receiving a selection of one of the displayed media content, dispense the corresponding media article.