SoCS: new editor

Change is good.

Change is difficult.

Change is necessary.

Change is easier when you have a choice about it.

Obviously, many of us have made a lot of changes due to the pandemic, but this is not going to be another one of my pandemic posts. (Silent cheering.)

Instead, it is about being faced with WordPress retiring the classic editor in favor of the block editor. Those of you with newer blogs are probably already using it – and, I’m sure, many of the people with older blogs are, too.

I admit to not being especially tech-savvy, but I learned to use the classic editor well enough to be able to keep Top of JC’s Mind going for six years and counting. I admit that it has been frustrating at times, especially in getting poetry to format properly. White space is not a friend of the classic editor. I had to learn to add photos, but I tend to post text only most of the time. My brain processes words better than images and I don’t like having to think about copyright issues and such when I’m posting.

I did do a bit of experimenting with the block editor a few months back when I began to set up a new website for the Boiler House Poets Collective. [Note to self: Get the site public soon.] I found it very confusing, so I swapped back into the classic editor. “It” in the prior sentence meaning the block editor.

Yesterday, when I logged in to post about the first anniversary of my mom’s death, I was faced with the news that the current classic editor is being retired as of June 1 in favor of the ever-so-superior block editor. I was not in the mood to experiment at that point, although I did read the short article about it and opened a tab with a longer article for future reference.

Later in the day yesterday, I wrote a post scheduled for tomorrow, using the classic editor.

And here I am on Saturday morning, writing this post using the classic editor.

I’m promising myself to read more about the block editor later today. I’m really hoping I can learn to use it without a long and painful learning curve.

If push comes to shove, though, I do have the instructions to revert to something that is very close to the classic editor.

I’ll try not to wimp out and use it, though.

Promise.

Change is good. Right?
*****
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is basing the post on a word beginning with ch. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2020/05/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-23-2020

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley!
https://www.quaintrevival.com/

Author: Joanne Corey

Please come visit my eclectic blog, Top of JC's Mind. You can never be sure what you'll find!

27 thoughts on “SoCS: new editor”

  2. Note to self: Get ahold of the instructions on how to revert to something very close to the classic editor. (Yes, I’m also in a state of denial, and thanks, you’ve made me see that I can either start exploring now or be uncomfortably stymied come June 1.)

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  6. They’re messing with their terminology. The classic editor is this one: https://a.cl.ly/L1u7ldNK. That’s staying at least through the end of next year. The editor they’re getting rid of is this one: https://a.cl.ly/L1u7ldwB. It’s the one they tried to foist on us until they decided to foist the block editor on us.

    I gave the block editor a good three months and was not happy with how it worked, or failed to. I went back to the classic editor and might have to consider installing WordPress.org and running it on my own host or moving to a different platform entirely. Blogger is pulling the same crap on their users, apparently, so it won’t be there. Currently, the classic editor is a plug-in that WordPress is supporting through the end of next year. Hopefully, someone continues to support it after that…

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    1. Thanks for the explanation, John. I didn’t research that there were two different editors vying to be “classic.” And, of course, I was SoC, so I’m sorry if I added to anyone’s confusion.

      I wonder if they have responded to criticism and improved the block editor since you bravely stuck it out for three months. Or if WordPress will continue to support the classic editor for a longer time if a significant number of people continue to use it.

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      1. I hope they do. They’ve committed to it, anyway. I wonder if they’re going to take the classic editor out of WordPress.org. I may move to a self-hosted solution if they’re going to leave it there. Which naturally begs the question, if they’re going to leave it there, why don’t they leave it in .com?

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    2. I’m still using classic, I didn’t like the block editor, though it looks like they have worked out a lot of the bugs since the initial rollout. I’ve been finding the classic to be a bit buggy lately though (using the plugin), have you found that to be the case recently? I have been needing to refresh because things are not loading properly, perhaps it is less and less supported in light of these continued changes?

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      1. That’s interesting to hear, Erica. I haven’t been having trouble, although maybe it is because I use the editor directly through my browser instead of as a plug-in? At least, I think it’s not a plug-in? See post where I admit to not being very tech-savvy! LOL!

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  9. I use the block editor on my art website. It feels rigid and cumbersome with classic editor more free flowing. Resistance might be futile, but I’m resisting for now. But if I have to use it, maybe it will be good exercise for my brain. Ugh.

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  10. I just ran into the June 1 deadline recently. I think I’d managed to block out the thought of being forced out of the classic editor so there was a panicky moment or two. I’m not terribly excited but I also can’t imagine abandoning my block.
    You’re right — change is easier when I have a choice.

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  11. Pingback: Testing 1-2-3 – Top of JC's Mind

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