PayPal is still running on something they call XPT and their admin tools are built with something called Maxcode (Max Levchin wrote it).
As of 2 years ago they revolutionized CSS by having it being generated from Java because their fellowship of the ring wanted control over which properties you can use and how. Everything they do from a tech perspective has been to allow them to hire cheap labor while restricting which HTML/CSS they have access to. It's probably a good business strategy (like making sure they don't get classified as a bank) but it fosters an abysmal tech culture.
I have no way to prove the points above you'd just have to trust that I worked there as a UI dev.
I worked in PayPal's mobile team for a few months last year (acqui-hire). I can confirm that as of two years ago, everything you said is true, but as of last year the groundwork was laid for everything in this article being true today.
I used the PayPal Node stuff in its infancy (i.e., before anything was working). At that point it was a thirdhand tarball being passed around. Even in its preliminary state it was about 500% less shitty than using the old stuff (Sparta, JSP, etc).
I am glad to see that the (small, relatively insulated) team could deliver. I expect this migration will make many PP engineers obsolete, but I don't have a problem with that.
As of 2 years ago they revolutionized CSS by having it being generated from Java because their fellowship of the ring wanted control over which properties you can use and how. Everything they do from a tech perspective has been to allow them to hire cheap labor while restricting which HTML/CSS they have access to. It's probably a good business strategy (like making sure they don't get classified as a bank) but it fosters an abysmal tech culture.
I have no way to prove the points above you'd just have to trust that I worked there as a UI dev.