Tales of a Social-Media (and Tech) Failure: What’s the Deal with the WordPress Block Editor?

Posted July 7, 2020 by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction in Let's Discuss / 33 Comments

Okay, this is just going to be a post where I reveal my complete and utter confusion over something technological in regards to the blog. Can you all please enlighten me—what the heck is the deal with the WordPress Gutenberg Block Editor? Will my editor eventually change?

A couple of years ago, people started talking about the block editor (lots of people saying that they hated it, but some people do seem to love it), and everyone seemed to be under the impression that WordPress would be switching to the new editor completely soon. I was curious at first, but nothing seemed to change in my WordPress editor, so I just did what I do best … I ignored the problem, knowing that I would inevitably be confused at some point when my editor magically changed.

Except, it hasn’t. My WordPress still looks the same as it always has. Honestly, I kind of forgot about it. Then Chana and Malka @ Paper Procrastinators linked to a post over at Moonraker about the new editor that said everyone would be automatically switched over on June 1st. It’s July 7th and my WordPress editor looks the same as it always has.

I don’t get it. Is it because I’m self-hosted? (A quick internet search seemed to indicate that self-hosted WordPress sites were still going to be switched). Is it because of the theme I’m using? (I use Nosegraze’s Tweak Me theme. That’s an affiliate link, by the way.) Did I somehow opt out of the block editor forever at some point without realizing it? Or is this change just still lurking for me?

I tried to do some searching on my own, but honestly, I just got myself more confused. Everyone seems to imply that this change already happened. But my blog editor is the same as ever. Have the rest of you all switched over?

I know some of you are way more technology-savvy than I am. Help a girl out!

Do you understand what’s happening with the new(ish) block editor? Can you enlighten me? I want to know!

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33 responses to “Tales of a Social-Media (and Tech) Failure: What’s the Deal with the WordPress Block Editor?

  1. I can’t really help, I am clueless about these things too – I know that not long ago I was offered the chance to create a post with the block editor to try it out, and I absolutely hated it. I always hate when tech things change, but this was particularly annoying and pointless.

    I don’t know if I changed a setting to stick to the classic editor or what, but the block editor has never come back for me, and I hope it stays that way.

    I bet Ashley (of NoseGraze) would know, maybe I will ask her as she does my hosting.

    Lory @ Emerald City Book Review recently posted: ECBR: The Next Chapter
    • Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer told me it’s a plugin that Ashley has activated called Classic Editor. We can deactivate it if we want to. I did a quick search and it looks like the plugin will be supported through the end of 2021. Now I just have to decide if I want to deactivate the plugin now or continue my blissful ignorance until it stops working.

  2. I think when I signed up in January with Ashley at Nose Graze that mine is on the new editor? Because I think I’ve had to go back to the classic to edit a few older posts she had transferred over. Ugh, I’m still learning Word Press! Some things I like a lot more than Blogger, but sometimes it is just not as easy because it is all new to me.

    Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted: Blog Tour Excerpt with Giveaway: Diary of a Late Bloomer by L.M.L. Gil
  3. I had to use the new editor last year when I was writing for another blog. I so hated it that I was careful never to click on it on my own book blog. As you see on y homepage, i really want things MY way, and the new editor cannot really do what I’m doing on the first page.
    I think there should always be a way to avoid that new thing, at least through HTML anyway.
    For me, the new editor is so un-flexible, it’s very very annoying. You are fine away form it.
    NB: I’m not self-hosting

  4. shooting

    Oh goodness, I don’t think I’ve even heard of this new change. My blog is with Ashley too, so I’m sure I have the Classic one still. I’m kind of nervous to get rid of it because I’m sure it’ll be super confusing for me – and kind of annoying for awhile. I’m glad the editor will be around for a bit at least – I might try out the new one later this year.

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

  5. I’m on a WordPress.com blog and have been using their “new” editor for a while now. I have to say, it’s a lot better than it was when they first introduced it. (I HATED the original version. This is at least improved.) And while it’s not quite the same, there is the option to use “classic blocks” in the block editor, which is almost like using the regular editor inside the block editor.

    Good luck whenever you decide to switch! It did take me a while getting everything (my pages & post templates) moved over.

    Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted: Top Ten Tuesday ~ Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By
  6. So based on the replies, Ashley has so far saved us from this editor that no one likes? Well she IS kind of awesome so that makes sense, but I am not looking forward to when the plugin is no longer supported. But you know, will the internet still exist by the end of 2021? Will we? I’m going to go ahead and pretend it’s fine and live in sweet, sweet denial until then.

    Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted: Reviews in a Minute: Summertime Stories
  7. I’m self hosted and have the Tweak Me theme and have been on the new editor for ages (unfortunately…I much prefer the old one!), so I won’t be much help I’m afraid. But it looks like other people knew the answer anyway!
    I kind of wish I had that plugin so I could have kept using the old editor, but I’m fairly used to the new one now, and it was probably for the best if it’s going to expire soon anyway.

  8. Oh wow! That’s so weird! We’re not self-hosted, so WordPress kept bugging us to change over, and then permanently changed. It’s taken some getting used to, but now I’ve moved on from hating it to disliking it, which is progress. I like a lot of things about it, but I don’t like how I can’t easily format through HTML anymore, to bypass or add to the standard options that WordPress provides.

    But honestly, if you’re happy with your editor, and no changes have been made, I’m a big fan of just ignoring the idea that the block editor even exists! Let it remain a mystery as long as you get to continue to use the classic editor!

    Malka @ Paper Procrastinators recently posted: Review: The Extraordinaries
  9. Jen

    We’re self hosted and WordPress updated our account sometime last year. The four of us are not fans of the new editor but we decided to stick with it so we could all learn it and get that over with lol. I still don’t see any benefits, but I’m one of those who loves what comes easy to me computer wise. If you have any questions when you do switch over just holler, we’re now very familiar with it.

  10. I jumped at the new editor when they first came in and I am loving it. And they have only getting better. Maybe you should give it a try when you have a chance and get adjusted slowly? Have you updated your Wordpess to 5 and more? I think the update brought in most changes, so if you have not that might be why you dont have the option already.

    Gayathri recently posted: Can You Find The Famous Authors: Quiz
  11. When the block editor first showed up I was SO nervous about it. And at first it had so many glitches. And now I hear so many saying its going to change but if you are self hosted it probably won’t. I have the classic editor plugin. I do use more block editor more now, I do it for my reviews, it doesn’t work well with my other posts so I just switch back and forth which is nice. You just have to play around with it and work with it. I do like it in some ways but it could still use other improvements.

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