[eddietejeda]

I don't like to use the term "static" site, even as a provider of a static site hosting service. I think when people say "static" they imagine a small site that does not change.

I prefer to see it as a build environment for your code, data, and assets. The data can change all the time, but it either changes as part of a build process or pulled from an external API.

Here's a good summary of a team choosing this approach for their data-heavy site: https://revenuedata.doi.gov/blog/homepage-revamp-part-two/

[mr_toad]

I think most people understand ‘static’ as meaning it doesn’t use a CMS or database server. Content is managed in the same way as code.

It is confusing for non IT people who often think static means it can’t have any user interaction.

[jczhang]

In Netlify's case, does that mean there is no backend? No DB or node server?

[eddietejeda]

Well, all the front-end code is precompiled and published to CDN. So at least from that perspective, there is continuously running server. Node would compile, publish, and cease to exist. The DB would have to be hosted elsewhere and made available via an API.