This Web site is maintained as a set of XML documents. DocBook documents are either edited directly with an XML editor or automatically generated from other XML document sources. The DocBook files are then processed by an XSL stylesheet I wrote, producing a set of static Web pages. These HTML files are uploaded to my ISP. After making a change to the DocBook source document, I only need to type "make install" to publish the changes.
One might ask, "Why do this? Why not simply edit HTML documents directly?" There are dozens of reasons, but two stand out.
First, using XML allows a content author (me, in this case) to describe the logical structure of the document without bothering about niggling details such as making sure all of the links work and the layout is consistent. An author can give his words (and his ideas) his full attention, undistracted by how those words will ultimately be presented.
Second, using XML lets me change my mind about the look and feel of the site at any time. I can quickly modify my stylesheet, producing a consistent change throughout the entire site with just a few keystrokes. Contrast that to an HTML only site: a simple change, such as making all of the titles orange, would require (at best) some clever code to rework all of the <h2> elements, or (at worst) bringing each and every page up in an editor and making the change by hand. On a ten page site, this approach is annoying but feasible. For a hundred page site, such small adjustments become impractical.
I'll write more about how the site is maintained and published in the future. For now, there's an article at oreilly.com that explains some of the benefits of publishing with XML, and touches a bit on DocBook specifically, called "Take My Advice: Don't Learn XML."