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WordPress 5.0 was released on Thursday, and many people (those who are self-hosting, for example) were in for a nasty surprise: their entire way of adding a new post will have changed dramatically. The new release replaces TinyMCE with Gutenberg; a completely new way of adding content to your blog or website. In case you’re unfamiliar with the lingo, here is what TinyMCE looks like:
A Block, but not the Writer’s Kind
Gutenberg introduces a so-called Block Editor. Users of Elegant Themes’ Divi’s Visual Editor or even MailPoet or MailChimp will be familiar with the concept of composing posts through blocks. Basically, you build the page by selecting among a collection of premade kinds of content like Images, Text etc:
Still confused? Perhaps the following video will shed some light:
Thanks But No Thanks
If you are not ready to use the new WordPress 5.0 post editor, that’s ok. You can simply install the Classic Editor Plugin and your WordPress website will function just like it did before. The Classic Editor plugin restores the previous WordPress editor and the Edit Post screen. It lets you keep using plugins that extend it, add old-style meta boxes, or otherwise depend on the previous editor. To install, visit your plugins page and click the “Install Now” button next to “Classic Editor”. After the plugin finishes installing, click “Activate”. That’s it!
Support for the Classic Editor plugin will remain in WordPress through 2021, so you can use that time to familiarize yourself with the new system. I hope this helps restore some sanity to your life, if Gutenberg has stolen it from you 🙂
Charles Yallowitz said:
Looks like how Weebly does website design. I think that’s the site.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I’ve never used it, to be honest, so I’ll take your word for it 🙂
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vanderso said:
I’m not self-hosting and don’t use plug-ins. I’m really worried about this. I’d rather spend my time posting than learning a new system. Will I be able to use the Classic Editor?
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Jemima Pett said:
I believe if you’re not self-hosting, i.e. you’ve got a wordpress.com site, then Gutenberg isn’t being given to you. Of rouse, some would add a ‘yet’ to that 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thanks for that, Jemima! I think you’re right, although I haven’t been able to dig out any info on how permanent this situation is.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I’m afraid not, unless you upgrade to a Business plan, which lets you install plugins. This is around $20/month, billed annually or every 2 years. However, this is for when wordpress.com installs Gutenberg, which could be a long way off (I haven’t been able to dig up any further info on this, I’m afraid).
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vanderso said:
I posted today, and nothing had changed. I hope the old editor remains usable for the foreseeable future. It works just fine for what I need to do.
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The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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Darlene said:
Thanks!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
A pleasure! I hope it helps 🙂
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robbiesinspiration said:
Thanks, Nicholas. My post on Saturday has disappeared and I don’t know how to retrieve it.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Oh! Have you tried installing the Classic Editor plugin, if you’re self-hosting?
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colonialist said:
Thanks. Why they have to complicate matters with GlutenBug heaven alone knows. What’s better about it? The final irony is to have to install what you already had.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
It’s grow or die for tech companies, I guess. Gutenberg has three planned stages. This first one focuses on the post editing experience and the implementation of blocks. This initial phase focuses on a content-first approach. The use of blocks lets you focus on how your content will look without the distraction of other configuration options. The goal here is to help users present their content in a way that is engaging, direct, and visual.
These foundational elements will pave the way for stages two and three, planned for the next year, to go beyond the post into page templates and ultimately, full site customization.
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colonialist said:
Do we really want all that? The content is what counts, and familiarity of layout enables one to concentrate on that. That layout has already been established.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Personally, I agree. But there’s no stopping progress, I guess 🙂
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rijanjks said:
Change is always a challenge, but usually works out well in the end. I remember when I was forced into Windows 10 and thought I’d never figure it out. Now, I can’t remember any other way. 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I love your positive attitude 😀
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freiedenkerin said:
I will install the plugin of the classic editor immediately! I H.A.T.E. this damn Gutenberg thing!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol–you’re hardly alone 🙂
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tidalscribe said:
2021 sounds a long way off, I got back to Classic Editor accidentally, I’ll stick with it for the rest of the decade!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I know what you mean! I’ve already installed Classic Editor on my blog, too 🙂
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
How did you get back? I have the dot com WordPress and now I’m stuck with this stupid Gutenberg! Help
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Are you saying that you’re on wordpress.com and are stuck with Gutenberg? If so, I haven’t been able to find an answer to that. You can install the Classic Editor plugin on self-hosted blogs but I’m not sure what happens with wordpress.com ones. My own blog (nicholasrossis.wordpress.com) still uses the old interface, so I thought everyone was like me and that Gutenberg hadn’t been rolled out there yet.
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
Yes! I clicked on the update and Oops there it is! Dumb, dumb, never clicking on anything new again.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I think you’re on a self-hosted blog, if you had to click on update. WordPress.com-hosted blogs simply update everything for you.
If I’m right, you should be able to click Plugins, Add New, and select Classic Editor. Simply Activate it and your troubles should be over.
Did you design the blog yourself or through a developer?
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
Nope. It’s Jean’sWriting.com and the update was at the top of a page I was editing. I do have the WordPress.com Premium though.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Oh, I see. That explains it. Ironically enough, if you had the free version, you’d still be using the classic interface! You need to upgrade to Business for plugins, correct?
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
Yes and I don’t much like the Business format
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
Plugins can be used if I update to Business but I really don’t want to do that.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Oh, you just answered my question. In that case, the best I can offer is a quick reference to the way Gutenberg works: https://aspengrovestudios.com/how-gutenberg-will-change-wordpress/
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Jean M. Cogdell said:
Yay! It’s gone. I contacted Customer Service through the Chat feature and within seconds I was back to Classic. Whew!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Woot! Good to know, thank you 😀
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Jemima Pett said:
That sounds like you’ve answered a question I had… I stopped my sites from upgrading to 5.0, even though I’d already downloaded the Classic Editor. It sounds like you can go to 5.0 and use the Classic Editor okay. But maybe I’ll wait a while longer….
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Always a good plan with new releases 🙂
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Tizzy Brown said:
I’ve been using the beta version for a while and there are some things I like about it. It’s easier to get a consistent look for posts and to be more creative with the layout. But they still need to sort a few issues with things like the galleries (they never display right for me). I’m hoping it’ll improve as it goes on.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you for sharing this, Tizzy! I’ll wait for few months until I’m sure most wrinkles have been ironed out.
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Audrey Driscoll said:
I use the free version of WordPress and have had Gutenberg for a couple of weeks now. It’s not that bad, but I haven’t noticed that it’s dramatically better. Drop caps and coloured backgrounds seem to be the main new features. And the drop caps are HUGE. Don’t bother using them in really short paragraphs; it just looks weird. My impression is I have less control over how pictures interact with text. Maybe I just haven’t figured that out yet, but I’ve gone back to centering photos right after paragraphs of text, rather than wrapping text around a photo. I do like the more nuanced choices of photo size — from 100% to 25%. The old editor seemed to have just two sizes — big or small. One tip: the sidebar lets you switch between options pertaining to a specific block and ones for the document (post) as a whole.
I’d rather fumble around than read mostly unhelpful “help” docs, but I can see that this is a pain for people who don’t want to do either.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much for sharing this, Audrey! So, you’re on wordpress.com and chose to upgrade, or was Gutenberg forced upon you? Most people I know who use the free version (wordpress.com) are still using TinyMCE.
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Audrey Driscoll said:
Gutenberg was the default editor at some point in November, so I thought I’d try it. After I wrote a couple of posts using it, I thought I might as well stick with it.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Excellent! You’re well ahead of most of us 😀
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murkynightmist said:
I thought I’d give it a fair try and I hate it too! I normally write my blog in Word and then copy/paste it over into the editor – but the new editor merged several words together after I pasted and I had to go and edit everything to add the spaces back in. I’m not sure why they thought we needed this.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Ouch! I guess that, like all tech firms, they feel the need to move forward even if that means leaving some users behind.
Gutenberg has three planned stages. This first one focuses on the post editing experience and the implementation of blocks. This initial phase focuses on a content-first approach. The use of blocks lets you focus on how your content will look without the distraction of other configuration options. The goal here is to help users present their content in a way that is engaging, direct, and visual.
These foundational elements will pave the way for stages two and three, planned for the next year, to go beyond the post into page templates and ultimately, full site customization.
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tidalscribe said:
Yes, I do exactly the same, copy and paste and I also found words joined together all over the place – glad it wasn’t just me, I accidentally managed to change back to Classic Edit.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you for sharing that!
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Scott Bowler said:
An alternative is to switch to ClassicPress
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I hadn’t heard of it but it sounds pretty interesting. Please contact me if you’d be interested in a guest post explaining what ClassiPress does!
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Staci Troilo said:
I DO NOT LIKE the new editor. I’m struggling with photo placement. They’ve been planning this change for what feels like years; you’d think they’d have come up with something more user-friendly. The concept of blocks is okay, but not when I’m trying to wrap text around pictures. Just another frustration to come to terms with.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Ouch. Thank you for sharing your experience with it, Staci!
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Shana Gorian said:
I’ve been using the new Gutenberg system for about a month now (maybe less?) and although it took a few frustrating moments to get used to, I think overall it’s pretty easy, (if not easier, to work with), than the old system. Just a small learning curve.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you for sharing that, Shana! Looks like you’re ahead of the rest of us 🙂
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kimwrtr said:
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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tracikenworth said:
Reblogged this on Loleta Abi.
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Pingback: Hello, Gutenberg! How Can We Get Rid Of You? – Where Genres Collide
DebyFredericks said:
I had no warning of this change and was taken much aback, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I love your attitude 🙂
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Mae Clair said:
Good to know about the plug-in. I had no idea. Thank you!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yay! Glad you found it useful 😀
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John T. M. Herres said:
My site was automatically switched to the Gutenberg editor. I’ve seen the style before and declined using it because, as a lot of others have mentioned, of the learning curve to use it. I much prefer to just write it out and add images when and where I see they’re needed.
When I followed the link to try to figure out how to get rid of it, none of the screenshots matched what my site was showing me as far as choosing editor styles. I had to go to my plug-in page and actively search for the Classic Editor, then install and activate it from there.
I’m not a website designer. Not at all. In fact, if I remember correctly, you tried to do a setup for me some years ago when I first switched to WordPress, and that didn’t go over very well. The site you designed looked great but I just couldn’t figure out how to use it. All this “new” tech has me two brain cells kerfuffled.
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John T. M. Herres said:
I referenced this in my own post concerning this confusing (to me) issue. I hope it’s okay to link, as I’m not sure how to pingback…
https://wp.me/p5HYzX-nt
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Of course it’s OK! Thank you for spreading the word 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol–fair enough. I’m glad you sorted it out in the end 🙂
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Pingback: Gutenberg Editor- Denied! – John T. M. Herres
Pingback: Author Inspiration and Last Week’s Writing Links – Staci Troilo
jjspina said:
Thank you for the info, Nicholas. I have used it a couple of times but not sure what I am doing. I just type along and add images and hope for the best. LOL! It’s seems to be working okay but I like the previous layout better. I think I was just used to it, that’s why. Sigh! Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🎄 🎁
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol–I could have written that comment myself! Merry Christmas, Janice 🙂
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jjspina said:
Thank you, Nicholas! Blessings of Christmas to you and yours! 🤗
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Dracul Van Helsing said:
Yes, I much prefer the old Classic Editor myself, Nicholas.
Agghh! at the new WordPress 5.0 !
Maybe some country out there (that Canada stupidly has an extradition treaty with and the Canadian government is stupid enough to do that country’s dirty work for them) will arrest some WordPress Executive as they’re in transit through Vancouver Airport.
Then Canada will have more citizens taken hostage by the country where WordPress is based (possibly that’s the U.S.) all because various countries in the world are getting all excited by the way all the “5.0 systems are unfolding as they should or shouldn’t be according to a country’s particular viewpoint.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol–that has to be the weirdest comment about WP5 on pretty much blog! Not a fan then, huh 😀
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Dracul Van Helsing said:
No, not really a fan of most innovations in tech.
On the advice of a girl in Vancouver, I never accepted any updates for my iPhone 4.
And my iPhone 4 worked perfectly well until it was stolen.
When someone bought me an iPhone 5, I never accepted any updates either.
Then that tarty Apple CEO Tim Cook had the directions on the Dialogue Box for Updates turned around.
So when that irritating Notification of New Updates Dialogue Box popped up right in the Middle of my doing something important (like it always had the irritating habit of doing), I thought I had clicked Not Now and then I realized to my horror, I had clicked Install instead.
I tried shutting the phone down but it didn’t work.
It kept installing the literally damned new updates.
My phone didn’t work so well ever since.
Now it has finally died.
So now I no longer have a working smart phone.
Just a tablet.
That’s why I had my character Renfield give Tim Cook a poisoned apple on behalf of the Chinese government in Beijing as vengeance for the U.S. government ordered arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou aided and abetted by the bending over forward pansies in the Canadian federal government and the pot smoking Vancouver Crown Prosecutor’s office.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Strangely enough, it makes perfect sense not to update anything. Tim got his deserved cooks… or something (I know there is a pun in there somewhere, I just can’t find it).
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Dracul Van Helsing said:
Definitely a pun somewhere. 😂
Interfering with the profits of an American multinational company (in this case Apple) is definitely breaking U.S. law as far as the U.S. government is concerned.
Uncle Sam thought Huawei’s Meng could be hung (out to dry) courtesy of the pot smoking Justin Trudeau.
But now Tim has received his just desserts (poisoned apple pie).
Now he’ll end up cooked Peking duck.
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jedeschner said:
Oh sweet mother of pearl! By switching that editor to Gutenberg automatically, WP caused a lot of issues with my company. PSSSSSSSSSst… developers, Keep it simple. We should be warned before big changes or have the option to opt out easily!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
In their defense (and much as I dislike Gutenberg), they did give us plenty of warning and even came up with a plugin that lets you keep the Classic editor. My only concern is that it’s supposed to be supported for the next 2 years, so I wonder what’s going to happen after that. Seeing how popular the plugin is, though, I’m sure they’ll extend that deadline. Also, Gutenberg (the plugin) has 2 stars whereas Classic Editor has 5 stars, so…
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jedeschner said:
My point was that it was unprofessional to make that change automatically. There should have be an opt in or opt out button for us. I had at least 4 editors contact me about the change and had to look for a solution. You know the old saying “Time is Money.” That is especially true in the news business.
I am happy I found this article that told me about the Classic Editor.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Oh, how I wish for a “permanently opt out” button from Gutenberg… Sigh…
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Nepto said:
I am happy to see that all the problems in WordPress are solved now, since there is an obvious need for creating a new one, like this new editor 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol 😀
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