Over on SitePoint today there's a new article debating the difference between a push and a pull CMS.

A Push CMS is characterized by the caching and delivery of content as flat files (files that stand alone, independent of a database) in a Web server-neutral format. In a Push CMS, content is aggregated from the repository and "baked" into a standard file which is then pushed, via open standards, to the appropriate Web server(s). A Push CMS typically exists inside the corporate firewall, as illustrated below.

In a Pull CMS, special delivery software is installed directly on the live Web server(s). When a request is made for a Web page on the Pull CMS, the necessary content pieces are pulled from the database and assembled into a single page. A Pull CMS typically exists outside the corporate firewall.

He talks about the advantages of the push method, giving reasons such as: Search Engine Index-Friendly URLs, Multi-Server Content Publication, Content Independence from the CMS, and Web Server Optimization.