Cloudline Press - Publication

This document describes how written material becomes published output in Cloudline Press.

It focuses on the publishing pipeline rather than server operation or internal architecture.

Publication in Cloudline Press is intentionally slow, explicit, and inspectable. Content moves through clearly defined stages, and no transformation occurs without being recorded.

Overview

Cloudline Press separates publishing into three distinct layers:

1. writing
2. upstream publication
3. local presentation

Each layer has a narrow responsibility and is intentionally replaceable.

This separation allows content to remain portable while presentation remains controlled.

Writing Layer

Standard Notes

All source writing is performed in Standard Notes.

Standard Notes is used because it provides:

• plain text Markdown authoring
• end-to-end encryption
• long-term storage independence
• version history
• export portability

Cloudline Press does not integrate directly with Standard Notes.

Standard Notes functions purely as the authoring environment.

No assumptions are made about editors, formatting tools, or device access.

Upstream Publication Layer

Listed.to

Listed.to is used as an upstream publication surface.

Notes written in Standard Notes are published publicly through Listed.

Each published note receives a stable public URL.

These URLs act as upstream content sources.

Cloudline Press does not depend on Listed features beyond:

• publicly accessible HTML
• stable URLs
• predictable page structure

No API keys or authentication are required.

Why an upstream publisher is used

An upstream publisher provides:

• a clean separation between private writing and public access
• a public origin that can be fetched independently
• a clear boundary between authoring and presentation

Cloudline Press intentionally avoids direct integration with private writing tools.

Only publicly published material is consumed.

Limitations of Upstream Output

Listed is not used as a presentation platform.

While suitable for reading, upstream output has several constraints:

• fixed typography
• limited layout control
• platform branding
• constrained print behavior
• unpredictable long-term styling changes

These limitations make it unsuitable as a final publishing surface for material intended to be archived or printed.

Cloudline Press exists to address this gap.

Manifest-Driven Publication

Manifest concept

Publication is controlled through a single manifest document.

The manifest defines:

• which pages exist
• their titles
• their slugs
• their upstream source URLs

The manifest is published upstream like any other note.

It is typically written in JSON.

Example:

```json { "site_name": "Cloudline Press", "pages": [ { "slug": "about", "title": "About This Site", "source": "https://listed.to/@example/12345" } ] }