The document discusses using web forms and web services to collect and report user data instead of databases. It describes the author's journey from using FileMaker and Terascript to Ruby on Rails to Google Forms. Web forms provide a way to engage users, collect data, and leverage user-generated content through reports. The author proposes using Cascade, an interface for viewing database records and reports, to output data from web forms to CSV files. Examples are provided of building PHP web services to integrate with Cascade for reporting user data from web forms while addressing considerations like server performance and changing data definitions.