I like the idea, but I think one issue is that the database is the easy part. If I look again at the list of requirements, most are not about the database but about how to put data from external source in the database, how to edit the database, and how to publish it. To me this sounds like an interface problem. But since the whole point is small, specialized collections, interfaces have to be specialized too. That means no single tool that can offer a solution. Maybe it's an issue of definition, I call a database something like MySQL or SQLite or even a CSV file, while for the author it's the finished product, the database about <stuff> and the tools that are adapted to <stuff>.<p>Substack is an interesting example. It's great for written content with a few images, which mostly looks the same everywhere. But it lacks great customisation features that I think a database would need, because that stuff is hard to do.<p>If I had to propose a solution, it would be this: if you want to do a small database, do it. Experimentation in the cyberspace is very cheap. These days you have lots of resources for everything online. It can be intimidating, and can lead to analysis paralysis. I'm supposed to be a professional developer and still struggle with that. But one thing that has helped me a lot recently is to try stuff, see if it works, if it fails, ask questions (to either real people or ChatGPT/Copilot, Copilot is especially valuable to get in a "just keep writing, editing comes later" mood). It's not always fun, in fact it can be quite frustrating, but that's how things are.<p>In the end, this is about decentralisation and you can't have proper decentralisation if you don't also decentralise the skills, the know-how. For example, there has been a lot of talk about Mastodon as a decentralised alternative to Twitter. And it is one. But if you simply go from being a user on Twitter to being a user on Mastodon, well you don't regain much control. On the other hand if you try running a small instance, even just a local instance to see how it works, or maybe add a few feature to your preferred client (it can be code, but it could also be helping translation, or maybe a color scheme (you wouldn't believe how many color scheme are barely usable when you're colorblind)), well then you start being in control.