The website you're viewing right now is built on our own custom Content Management System (CMS), known as Light CMS. Light CMS is a lightweight, flat-file CMS. So, why did we build a lightweight CMS of our own, instead of using WordPress, a CMS we've been managing for our customers for 25 years?
For over a decade, database-driven content management systems like WordPress have dominated the web. However, a silent revolution is happening. Developers, writers, and site owners are realizing that databases add complexity, cost, and security vulnerabilities that aren't necessary for most standard websites.
Here is why flat-file systems represent the future of publishing:
1. Speed & Performance
Without database queries, page rendering is near-instant. Pages load in milliseconds, helping you achieve perfect scores on Google Lighthouse out of the box.
2. Dynamic Portability & Version Control
Because your content is stored in clean Markdown files, you can manage your entire website with Git. You can open files locally in any markdown reader (like Obsidian), write content offline, and commit to publish.
3. Simplified Security
No database means no SQL injection attacks. Your content files are read-only, drastically lowering the attack surface of your website.
Light CMS
Light CMS is a flat-file Content Management System (CMS). Websites are created by organizing folders and editing standard text files ending with a ".md" file extension. Markdown files are just plain text files, which means you can open and edit them in any text editor, such as Notepad, StackEdit, or a Markdown-based note application like Obsidian.
The Markdown-based structure also means that you don't need to have a built-in administrative or management console, online text writer, or any of the other extras found in more heavyweight CMS products. All you have to do is create Markdown text files on your computer, then upload them to your web site. Because the system uses Markdown text for your content, you don't need to know how to write HTML or other coding languages; however, one of the neat features of Markdown is that you can write HTML in a markdown file if you'd like. You don't have to, but it's an option that's always available to you. Otherwise, Light CMS takes the plain text of the Markdown file and converts it to HTML for you automatically. All you have to do is upload the files to your web site.