Notes: Why Static

The Case for Static

Static hosting keeps it simple and cheap:

• Nginx serves files — no runtime processing
• Zola builds them — all complexity at build time
• Low resource usage — ideal for small VPS

Trade-offs

What you give up:

• No server-side dynamic content
• Comments need external services
• Search requires client-side JS or build-time indexing

What you gain:

• Near-zero attack surface
• Trivial caching and CDN integration
• Version-controlled content (it's just files)

For a personal blog/garden, the trade-off is clearly worth it.