CSS-Tricks goes quiet again as DigitalOcean pours millions into rival open-source project
The web development publication has stalled once more under DigitalOcean ownership, prompting criticism after the company pledged US$3 million to a new project while halting smaller infrastructure payments.
The long-running web development publication CSS-Tricks has fallen silent again, leaving its future uncertain under the ownership of DigitalOcean. The site, which was acquired by the cloud infrastructure provider in 2022, had previously paused operations in February 2023 after staff were dismissed. It remained dormant for a year before lead editor Geoff Graham was re-hired in June 2024 to revive the publication.
Despite Graham’s efforts to get the site running again, CSS-Tricks has now become inactive with no official communication from management. The lack of clarity has drawn scrutiny from within the web development community, who note that the silence persists despite the company’s recent high-profile financial commitments elsewhere.
The controversy centres on DigitalOcean’s pledge of US$3 million to Omarchy, a project led by David Heinemeier Hansson. Omarchy is described as a set of scripts and configurations built on Arch Linux and other open-source software. The donation was finalised within days of an initial contact between Hansson and DigitalOcean CEO Paddy Srinivasan, a speed that contrasts sharply with the months of silence regarding CSS-Tricks.
Hansson, previously known for Ruby on Rails, announced the funding by highlighting the efficiency of the process. He noted that he reached out to Srinivasan on Wednesday, held a call that same night, and had the deal finalised by Sunday. This rapid turnaround has been used to question why similar urgency has not been applied to the company’s own publication.
Adding to the criticism, DigitalOcean has also ceased monthly payments of US$50 to GNOME and Flathub infrastructure. These projects form part of the open-source ecosystem that underpins much of the technology the company operates within. The decision to halt these smaller contributions while making a multi-million dollar donation to a newer project has led some to argue that the neglect of CSS-Tricks is a matter of prioritisation rather than capacity.
The author of the report, who has written for CSS-Tricks, described the situation as a blow to the web ecosystem. They noted that there are very few quality publications remaining about the web, and that losing another would be significant. The future of CSS-Tricks remains unclear until DigitalOcean provides further communication.
