[outworlder]

Not if your "database" is something like SQLite. That is preferable to most alternatives, if you actually want to manipulate data.

If the blog is not much more than a .PLAN file, sure is overkill. But having access to a DB and programming language opens up a few possibilities – and cleaner code compared to hacking some bash scripts doing text manipulation magic.

Now, starting with a database from day zero? I'd say it is a case of YAGNI. Don't add stuff you don't need now. If you need it in the future, then add it. But don't go paying for a hosted DB if a SQLite would suffice.

Oh, and even then, a database would be more useful for the site generation step. Having a DB being called for every page rendered is a recipe for going down with HN traffic (or Slashdot in the older days).