Well, here we are. More and more speaking of the block editor just around the corner. They’re right, it will soon overtake us, and we just have to adapt. I’m not happy about it, but WordPress is ever expanding, and to do that it has to make money. Hobby and professional bloggers, made WordPress what it is today. That’s not what’s important in today’s business world. When you step up and get larger, you have to continue to step up. A vicious circle that oft-times consumes the memory of where you came from.
Most people use mobile devices
When asked why a block editor? The mantra of “Most people use mobile devices”. Tablets, smartphones, etc. While this may be (according to stats) true, it’s more like a politician deflecting the issue. Yes, the majority (statistically) use mobile devices. You can bet Grandma’s girdle, they don’t use smartphones to design sites. They could, but in this world of high production it’s too slow. WordPress has grown from its humble roots as a blogging platform, to a commercial business for products and services. Websites have to look good on tiny devices. Thus, the “block” editor. Stick your website components in a block, no worries about formatting bugs causing wonky pages. So the move all along, was for catering to commercialization of the platform. No real need for interaction on a human level. Just read, place your order, and done. Blogging is about sharing Websites are for displaying.
It won’t last forever.
You can take comfort in knowing it probably won’t last forever. It may last through our lifetime, but we can take comfort as old wise ones, that we have seen this type of change come and go. Over the last few years since Gutenberg was adopted, it’s been stumbling, changing, aggravating bloggers AND those who build websites for companies. Believe me, when a commercial site has a few customers questions wind up in the spam box, that could cost some venues thousands in sales. Right now, it’s a cheap alternative to paying for a hosting service, website developer/maintainer. Those who maintain these business sites, are going to start to charge more due to the constantly changing/problems of the interface.
Hang in there
Don’t give up. That is my Mantra back at them. I’m 68 this year, I made this post, simply by hitting the enter button for my next paragraph, just as I always have. The headers above some paragraphs took maybe an extra 3 clicks. Most of us don’t use a header, it’s just fluff.
We can do this, many bloggers are making videos and written tutorials on how to use the block editor on the simplest level. We can all band together, help on another and then laugh if a better platform for bloggers comes along.
Keep blogging friends!
Comments, always welcomed.
Thanks for being positive on a day when I am feeling very negative about the same issue. It still hasn’t got to me yet, but can only be days away. So many bloggers are having serious difficulties adapting to the change. I was just saying ‘goodbye’ to one of my blog followers who is leaving WordPress today because she cannot deal with the change, or make it work for her at the simplest level.
What you say makes sense of course, Ron. But many people (including me) are at the limit of their tech capabilities when it comes to what we already had, let alone trying to cope with what we see as a change being foisted upon us for the benefit of businesses and companies.
Best wishes, Pete.
It’s very sad to see anyone leave the blogging world, Pete. Don’t give up. In its simplest use, this dumb editor is only a fancy way of doing paragraphs. I’f I have to, I will start turning out simple, two-five minute videos on how to do simple things, one at the time. That way, it won’t b e overwhelming trying to grasph covering several functions at once. Like one for just adding an image. One for coloring a word of text, and so on. Then once the basics are familiar, then other things if desired can be figured out at a bloggers own pace.
Thanks for all your kind help and advice, Ron. It is appreciated.
Best wishes, Pete.
As easy as it would be for me to complain about WP, I have to remember that I am getting a free service. The old adage “You get what you pay for” is still alive and well, and it is my choice not to pay for a Blogging platform. I stress … that is my choice. If I were paying them a few hundred a year for the hosting service, then I would expect service … but I am not! Perhaps I am missing something here, and at 73 that is quite likely, but have we become so entitled that we expect good service without contributing to the costs of same? Of course the many complainers (re. other blogs) may well be paying for the service, but I suspect that is not the case. Keep on blogging Ron! Regards. 🙂
I am paying for a plan and domain, but I am still unable to get anyone at WP to listen to me.
Blog hosting is a competitive business. If you really cannot get satisfaction from WP, then do what you would do under similar circumstances with any other commodity. Start shopping around. Some companies have to start losing customers before they start listening.
Truer words, were never spoken, Colin.
They won’t, Pete. I have had a Forum for 13 years, and they never listen to the actual operators. They do what they want, and sometimes it’s an adjustment made out of boredom. My latest update or upgrade to my forum by the software developers, moved the “edit” button from the bottom of a post, to the top right of that post window under three dots. I had members looking for it Monday and Tuesday. I fielded many questions looking for the simple edit button. No one asked for the edit button to be moved. They apparently thought it would be more aesthetically pleasing, out of sight.
I learned to get used to them not listening, and I shall have to do the same thing with WordPress until something better comes along.
Many of us are self-hosted, Colin. Others get their hosting through WordPress for a fee each month. Those are the ones that feel slighted. I’m pretty sure the average blogger doesn’t care for all the fancy blocks, and weren’t taken into consideration. It was more than likely a business move to provide websites in the form of a blogging platform. As I mentioned in my post a while back, it is harder now to find a “blogging” theme. Most are geared towards a commercial look.
I’m not going to give up, I use just the basics of the block editor. I guess you could say, I don’t really use any of its fancy features.
I use the header once in a while, but I could just do that by highlighting my text, turning it bold, change the font size and center it.
I don’t use the Drop Caps option, but some that right series or novels might want and enjoy that. The quote being too large can be overcome by highlighting and setting the font smaller. I dislike having to relearn things. But in this case, I don’t want to lose you, Pete, Ellie, Kate, and a hundred other bloggers that give me a smile and make me feel good seeing their blogs.
We can do this, I know.
Hi Ron. I recently traded in my 2001 Toyota RAV4 for a new model. It is so technically different that it is not much of a pleasure to drive. Given the state of the new car market, I have limited choices. I can either try and learn what all the beeps, flashes and screens do, or (my preference) work on a “need to know” basis. That car will probably never use the internet or the many other electronic options, but that is the direction auto technology is going. I have to work with it, or divorce myself from it. I really don’t see the Blogging business (or any other business) to be any different. I have to keep reminding myself that commerce is not targeting my age group as the key market sector any longer!
Michelle and I have a 2001 Rav 4. I have been dreading when we upgrade to a newer vehicle. Too much electronic stuff to go wrong. Just give me a vehicle that does what I need it to. I think I would like a Dodge Charger 4 door without all the crazy blown out electronics.
Well the car exercise can be a simple analogy of WordPress, and most other businesses.
Many do pay for hosting on WordPress. But, as you say, I can’t complain much since the software itself is free. I pay for my domain name and hosting. My forum software costs me $149 years ago, and that was just the software. I also pay $25 every 6 months for support from the forum software makers. Something I seldom need from them.
I’ll keep on blogging, Colin. 🙂
Good for you Ron. You and I have both been around long enough to know that the world is far from perfect … and we also know that we can still enjoy ourselves here, and take pleasure from the interactions that blogging provides. Have a wonderful day, and stay safe. 🙂
So far I haven’t been forced on it. Soon though I’m sure. I tried it early on and it was a nightmare. I hear it’s better now. Wish they would have kept a simple one for those of us who aren’t using it commercially but I will adapt. Yes I pay. I pay to keep it ad free (the ads on the those that don’t are becoming really annoying! Multiple ads!) and I have my own domain so it’s not free.
I agree, Kate. It’s a crazy piece of editor, more suited for building a commercial website than blogging. It’s all we have though.
I’ve been amazed at the cheap grade of ads that WordPress uses. They are just awful. I pay for my domain name, and my own hosting, so I don’t have to put up with the ads. I surely hope my email notifications subscribers get, aren’t packed with that junk. Someone can let me know, if they will.
The block editor is better now, you can actually just ignore all the blcok stuff if you just want to make a regular post. Type away, and when you start a new paragraph, you hit enter and it goes to the next “block”. You may as well just call the blocks “paragraphs”.
How about inserting photos? Someone early on complained about that. I never got that far.
Sure, Kate. I will work on a video in the morning for inserting photos.
I have uploaded two videos that may help others get started posting with the new editor.
One covers inserting graphics or pictures.
If it helps you, consider liking it, and subscribing to the channel. That way you’ll get a notification if I post more from requests.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjAQZLwbYlupVLyYj2pcrQ/
Thanks for the suggestion, Kate.
Done!
Wait, what?! I thought I was already using the block editor for months. I’ve been cursing at the screen for quite some time.
You may already be using it, magicmermaid. If so, you’re ahead of many. I will try to do more videos soon. Fragglerock has a nice video as well I hear.
I’ve been on Gutenberg since April 2019 Ron – I see them adding tweaks every day to it. I wish they would have left the “image”, “paragraph” and “heading” in a commonly used area up top instead of having to search for it all the time, but probably they have a way to do that (like a shortcut) and I just haven’t noticed. I was not aware you could just enter to go to a new paragraph, however, I don’t type from scratch in WordPress. I like the justification and I type my posts in Word and transfer them over to Notepad, then to WordPress – I have to use Notepad or else WordPress has trouble doing the justification. I add all my text and then I add all the pictures, so I only have to search for “image” once. I put two pound signs before my titles and most times that makes it set up for a headline without using the headline set-up. I also have my own domain and pay to be there – my annual present to myself.
Hi, Linda. Yes, accurate tutorials are short-lived. I did one last year and it had over 2,000 views. Now it isn’t really relevant, since they changed many things. They keep adding subtracting and moving things around on us. In my video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6EbYUfsYp8 I show how I have mine set, so that my main options are always in one spot at the top of my page.
Under the three dots at the top right. “More Tools and Options” you can check the box for “Top Toolbar” and “Spotlight Mode”. Those two are an enormous help.
Images: Many times, I just drag and drop my images from a folder on my computer, into the block. They upload, get added to the media library, and inserted in the post with the simple action of dragging and dropping. 🙂
Thanks for the tip for a fast headline size!
Heh, I DO fear the block editor, so what do I do? I click on the Classic Editor button. (Once I could find the damn thing!!) I’m 74 and I think my tech learning capability has reached its tippy-top limit!
Well, you’re in luck, Ellie. My video will show you how to set your view where you can see the text tools, and make a blog post just by using the return or enter key.
I wouldn’t trust that classic block. At some point, I’m sure they will whisk that away as well. They will start getting complaints about things being all askew when trying to copy and paste from an old classic post to the block editor. I have already had my taste of trying to copy-paste one of my older posts into the block editor.
Hmm. IMHO if they whisk that away, they’re gonna whisk away a lot of bloggers as well. Sigh. Okay, I’ll take a look at your video, Ron. Thanks for the kick in the- I mean, for your encouragement! ??
You have to hang in there, Ellie. Shout if you need help.
Will do, thanks a ton!
I have made the switch with your and others’ encouragement. It is much simpler than they made it out to be with all their scare tactics of “it’s coming, it’s coming!”
Glad to hear that, Elizabeth. It was horrible in the beginning. Nothing hardly worked, and stuff moved around every day instead of the current every other week.
I really couldn’t fathom the rollout they did on such an unfinished piece of software. They have improved it to usability now at least.
I think the programmers are pretty young and in a hurry to impress each other.
Surely wish they would get over it. I don’t like being their lab rat while they work on it.
They are too young to realize the old adage measure twice cut once!
I used to have a hard time with the block editor and preferred the traditional editing style, too. But Markus preferred the upgrade and now I am used to it. Interestingly, I do not write on my phone and still do it on my computer. It is just easier somehow. How about you? And yes, let us keep blogging and supporting each other. We will all get through this.
Thank you for the comment, Micah. I prefer posting and writing from my computer. For me, typing on small screens isn’t enjoyable.
I’ve tried speech to text, but those things make me spend more time correcting them, than I would spent just using the computer.
Thanks for the input, and hope to see you again.