If you're building a website in 2025, you have a fundamental choice: Static or Dynamic.
For 99% of blogs and personal sites, Static is the right answer. Here is why.
What is a Dynamic Site? (e.g., WordPress)
When you visit a WordPress site:
- The browser sends a request to the server.
- The server wakes up and runs PHP code.
- The PHP code queries a MySQL database ("Get the latest 10 posts").
- The database sends the data back.
- The PHP code stitches the HTML together.
- The server sends the HTML to your browser.
Pros: Can do complex things like e-commerce or user logins. Cons: Slow. Expensive to host. Vulnerable to hacking (SQL injection).
What is a Static Site? (e.g., Jottings)
When you visit a Jottings site:
- The browser sends a request.
- The server sends a pre-built HTML file.
That's it.
The HTML was built once (when the author clicked "Publish"). It sits on a CDN (Content Delivery Network) waiting for you.
The Static Advantage
1. Speed
There is no database query. There is no server-side processing. It is physically impossible for a dynamic site to be faster than a static site.
2. Security
You can't hack a database that isn't there. Static sites are virtually unhackable.
3. Scalability
A static site can handle 10 visitors or 10 million visitors. It's just a file. CDNs are built to serve files at massive scale. A WordPress site would crash under the "Reddit Hug of Death."
4. Cost
Serving static files is incredibly cheap. That's why we can offer Jottings for free/cheap.
When to Use Dynamic?
If you need:
- Real-time comments (though you can use 3rd party tools).
- User accounts (for your readers).
- Complex e-commerce logic.
Then you need dynamic.
But for a blog? A portfolio? A landing page? Go static. It's the modern way to build for the web.