Platform independence
27 September, 2025 in Newsletter
My notes from a quick review of tech options for publishing online - looking for values alignment and support for people, planet and creativity.
A time for mindful publishing
Recently, we've seen concerning indications about the risks that tech used without care and responsibility for ethics can pose, and it feels like a good time to review and make adjustments to platform choices.
I've been thinking about moving away from my current web publishing tool for a while, and wanted to evaluate alternatives before investing the time in making a transition.
Considerations
I looked at options for both web and mailing list publishing, with the goal of prioritising the following, alongside the functionality that I need.
Accessibility
I tried out onboarding and user signup, as well as reviewing general navigation and content display, looking for good keyboard-only navigation as a key indicator of technical accessibility (as defined by WCAG).
This was a deciding factor and led to my discarding some otherwise neat tools that I'd been considering.
Platform ownership
Using information available through a quick search, I looked for platforms and tools with a broad (public or multiple shareholder) ownership structure, or Open Source, or otherwise less techbro vibe.
Portability
Aiming to not be dependent on a single platform, especially after hearing about the impact on a few local business owners of sudden (and unjustified) cancelation of their accounts on Meta.
Rather than looking for one platform which could handle a website, email newsletters, CRM, marketing and more, I looked for a combination of tools that wouldn't be too tricky to move on & off as my needs change.
Price
There's some really lovely Saas tools out there, but all those subscriptions add up! More generally, given that cost is often the main barrier to digital equity, I looked for tools with a free or low cost option.
Carbon footprint
Checking for company values in action, Ditchcarbon scores, and things like BCorp certification.
What I'm choosing
My shortlist - for now-ish and future use.
For web publishing
Plain HTML / CSS hosted on a shared platform
Reviving an old static template, or using elements from Gov.UK Design System, or NZ Govt Design System (not currently being updated) - which have been developed and well tested for accessibility.
(Update - I've gone with the "revive an old static template" option for now, and added schema markup as recommended for discoverability through AI tools. For anyone looking for local hosting I can recommend Sitehost / Myhost, and Discount Domains - both have great technical customer support.)
Local, with lovely developers here in Aotearoa, and very much web standards based. Open Source (so free, but requires hosting and development work to set up).
A Saas tool for small to enterprise use. Going by talks at their recent conference, a solid, web standards based toolset, built by kind people who play nicely with others :-) Designed to be easy to use, enabling non-technical people to do high quality web publishing. New features include analytics around how site content is being discovered and used via AI tools.
(Update after trying Webflow for a small project site - expect a steep learning curve to create pages! The process to preview and deploy a site works well, and domain setup will appeal to those wanting to continue using their existing provider.)
Email & newsletter software
A functional, well-known platform, with a generous free plan.
Less useful for starting off with a small subscriber base, but looks great for larger audiences that need a CRM.
Also on my "maybe later" list, this has SMS and Whatsapp messaging options in addition to email, and is a BCorp based in France & India.
Ideas not advice
These notes are shared as ideas for others who may be interested in exploring software options, and shouldn't be taken as advice. Always do your own research, and seek input across your team!