Heads Up!

/ Marcia Meara

Just want to let you folks know that tomorrow is the date when WordPress is going to make their new editor our default. I don’t like it. I have continued to use the Classic editor. Now their notification says the Classic editor will still be an option (presumably not our default, but an option). I hope this is true. If not, and I disappear for a day or two, it will be because I’m trying to learn how to use the new one. Under protest, definitely, but if they take my options away, I’ll do my best. 

They have said the Classic editor would continue to be an option for two more years, so I’m counting on that saving my bacon until I am forced to learn how to deal with it. (As if I have time for yet another distraction.) But if that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll figure it out. I just do NOT have time to deal with it over the next few days.

Again, I will do my best to post, especially by Tuesday, so I can continue our Peace Talks Countdown posts. And I’m hoping to do a #FirstLineFriday this week. But all depends on whether I still have my options available. 

Wish me luck! 😀

44 thoughts on “Heads Up!”

    • Thanks, Priscilla! I tried it when it was first introduced, hated it, and continued to use Classic. They say we will have the option to do that until 2023, when Classic will disappear altogether. 😦 So as long as I can reach it for now, I’ll take my time learning the new one, I guess, so I’ll be ready when it comes out I guess we’ll all find our way. Eventually. 🙂 As of this minute, my editor is still in Classic mode, but I’m sure that will change at some point during the day. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Hi Marcia. The Classic is now hidden amongst a stack of other ‘block’ options. To find it, click the + icon to the right of the first paragraph block. If you hover the mouse over it, you’ll see the label ‘Add Block’ pop up.

    Once you click the Add Block icon, you’ll see a popup list of block types. Keep scrolling down until you get to a category called ‘Format’. Classic will be there as a format option.

    I’m forcing myself to use the new editor, but I don’t like it either. Good luck. 🙂

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    • Thank you SO much, acflory! I do know I’ll have to get familiar with this editor eventually, but being able to do it on MY time schedule would be far better than being shoved into it before I understand how it works. I’m saving this post for future reference. One question. Do you have to do this with each post?

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      • Very welcome, Marcia. Re changing to the classic for each post…mm…I have a vague memory of being able to stay in classic, but I can’t remember where that was. Given the changes WP is making, I suspect that option may be gone. If that’s the case, then yes, you may have to select the Classic format each time, but once selected it will last for the entire post.

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        • Thanks for getting back to me on that. They say we can opt to use it as our default, if I’m reading the announcement correctly, but I’ll be braced to do it via the Classic Block, if necessary. I would think they’d leave that there permanently, even if the option to use Classic as a default goes away. If so, that would be useful. So far, my editor is still set in Classic Mode. We’ll see how long that lasts. TWO YEARS, I hope! 😀

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          • Oh good! I wasn’t sure if you could still set the Classic as default as I just use the format option now. I actually hope that WP makes the block editor a whole lot better before they finally pull the plug. Serious writers need a decent tool to work with.
            Stay well. 🙂

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            • So far, my editing page looks just like it did when I went to bed last night. The option to choose the Block Editor is still at the top, and the rest is Classic. I hope this will STAY this way until I learn how to deal with the Block editor. (Are they still calling it Gutenberg?) And I’d like to think that over the course of the next two years, they will continue to listen to unhappy users and make improvements and tweaks to whatever they are going to insist we use. Yes, we need a decent tool and one we are satisfied with. Also, one that doesn’t limit the look we’re going for with our blogs. Thanks so much for your input today! It’s greatly appreciated!! And you stay well, too. 🙂

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              • I haven’t heard it called Gutenberg in a while so I suspect they’ve settled on the more descriptive name. And I’m definitely with you on the editor not limiting the look we want. Imho, tools should be intuitive but also powerful enough to meet the needs of all users, and WordPress is /not/ a graphical medium like Instagram. It’s for people who love words. I hope the devs never forget that.

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    • According to the update info I received, it will be an option until 2023, at which time it will cease to exist. I can probably live with that, so that I can figure out the new one at my own pace. But honestly, I was hoping they’d never take the Classic editor away from us. I’ve been using it for close to 20 years. 😯 I LIKE it. And I do not want my blog to end up looking all slick and commercial, like a magazine spread. That’s fine for some, but I’m a more down home kinda person, and I like my blog to reflect that. I hope I don’t have to change the appearance one iota. We’ll see how it goes.

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    • Yes! Umbrage should be voiced! I do good umbrage! 😀 And I do NOT like my choices taken away from me, especially after I’ve gotten comfortable with them. You are so right–if it ain’t broke, for the love of all that’s good in the world, don’t FIX it!!!! 😀 Thanks for weighing in today, D.! (And I’m sorry I’m behind on responding to posts. It’s been another really weird 4-day weekend around here, and on top of that, I hurt my hand and typing is painful. But look. I’m still doing it. 😀

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  5. Wishing you luck, Marcia. I’ve been using Gutenberg since it was first introduced, and honestly, it really isn’t a beast. Yes, there are a few glitches here and there, but most have work arounds. And there is always the option to use the classic editor (or use a classic block, which is what I do when I encounter a glitch). The extra bells and whistles in Gutenberg are a nice feature. Fingers crossed for you.”!

    Onward!

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    • I know you’re already ahead of the game on this, and it seems to work well for you. A lot of blogs I see where it’s being used have a sort of sameness to them, and a “magazine” looking format. Not all of them, of course, and nothing wrong with that, except that I prefer the way my blog looks for ME and my purposes. I don’t want to have to change a bit of it.

      The update I got said the Classic editor could be used for 2 more years, but in 2023 will go away forever. 😦 Maybe the “Classic Block” option will stay. I’m wondering if you can use that for an entire post?) I don’t do much fancy stuff on this blog, so glitches weren’t my big concern. It’s how to keep it looking exactly the way I want it to without having to jump through hoops every time. BUT, as long as I can continue to use it during the 2-year period, I can figure out how to use the new one at my own speed, without pressure. I’m pretty sure I still have enough gray cells left to do that. 😀 (Fingers crossed!)

      Thanks for the positive note, Mae. If I get stuck, I might call on you for help. You’ve been warned. 😀 😀 😀

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  6. I have had a practice go this week and made some pictures round – and got some words on the page, but on my third attempt I lost all the bits and pieces before I had finished and pressed Publish in panic before I lost that too! But I think we can all manage to get something posted and we will all understand if none of our blogs make sense!

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    • Glad to know I won’t be the only one panicking when I start trying this thing out. Man, I hate that they are doing this. Choices are fine. I understand everyone has their own favorite way of doing things. But forcing us to accept a choice we don’t want is NOT fine. Not when you’ve been able to do it the other way for almost twenty years. 😦 Oh, well. I’m hoping for the best, but am braced for whatever comes. As long as I can still blog, I’ll survive. Probably. 😀

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    • I hope you’re more comfortable and less worried in that place than I am, Denise! 😀 I hate stuff like this, but I guess that’s life. Just when you get comfortable with the way things are going, along comes Change to knock you on your backside. Wake up time! 😀 Good luck to you, as well, and I guess we’ll soon know if we are going to be swept along, kicking and screaming, or if it will all be easier than we dreamed. (Look for me in the first bunch, probably. 😀 )

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      • I’m not happy having to add time to blogging to learn a whole new thing. Hopefully it won’t be bad, but I like the option of keeping it classical.

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        • That’s one of my main objections, too! I just don’t have time for a single extra thing right now. And I feel the same way. Maybe I’ll like it okay, eventually, but I WANT the option to keep it Classic. Options are good! 😀 Always! 😀

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  8. I installed a plugin when mine changed a while ago after an update. Here’s hoping that my plugin will still work after the switch. I HATE the new block editor. It’s almost as if WP wants us to stop blogging. Good luck, Marcia 🙂

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    • I didn’t have to install a plug-in. Just Opted for Classic and it worked for the last year or so. I was NOT impressed with Gutenberg, either. By now, maybe they’ve improved it a bit, but I have my doubts. They say we can still opt to use the Classic editor for two more years, but that it’s going away in 2023. As long as I can continue to use it while I learn the ropes with the new one, I guess I’ll survive. But I’m still asking WHY do we have to be forced into this change? Why can’t we have the same options, and choose the one we’re more comfortable with. I don’t hate ALL change, honest, but I do hate this one. Good luck, Harmony! And thanks for stopping by to weigh in. 🙂

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    • That’s good to know, Terri. I just don’t want to take the time to deal with another thing right now, but as long as they don’t force me into it (by taking away my options) before I’ve gotten comfortable with it, I’ll adjust. Probably. 😀 Thanks for weighing in, Terri. 🙂 Hope all is well with you! 🙂

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  10. I totally agree, Marcia. My blog is basically just a fun one even though I pay for the Premium level to not have readers having to deal with ads and stuff. My workspace looks the same today too, and the only way I saw to keep Classic was to upgrade to Business level which I don’t think I can afford to do, so I guess when the time comes, I’ll have to deal with the new one. As long as it still looks like my posts look now, I won’t have any complaints I guess. 🙂 (Hopefully this doesn’t show up twice, no idea why it didn’t just sign me in. I’m always signed in with my WordPress blog ID)

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    • I think it was just waiting for me to approve you, as I do anyone who’s never posted here before. You should be good to go from now on, though. And thanks, Tari. This is just frustrating a lot of us, for sure. I hope you are able to continue to post the way you want, at least for the next two years. That should give us time to find a way to use the new editor that works for us. I’m with you. I do NOT want to change the look of my blog. I like the basic set up as it is, though I do change the header frequently, just for fun. But it’s MY choice to do that. Good luck going forward, and thanks for stopping by today! 🙂 (PS, I’m a dachshund lover, too. Ours have all passed on now, but they were very important members of our household for a long, long time. ❤ )

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      • Aww thanks, Marcia! That’ s my little reading buddy, Mia! I would imagine once it goes live, they’d give the option of using Classic instead of making everyone upgrade to Premium just to use the plug-in.

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        • It’s supposed to be live today, but I’m going to give it a test run by scheduling my #FirstLineFriday post right now, to be sure it is actually working. Oddly enough, I did have to approve this second comment from you. Not sure why that would be, but will have to keep a close eye on the Comments section to be sure no one else is hanging around in limbo. (It didn’t alert me by email that your comment needed approval either, which it normally does.) *sigh* It’s AAALLLL-ways somethin’!! 😀 And Mia is adorable. Our last two were a red & white piebald named Potter and a chocolate and tan named Maks. They are side by side in the backyard now, and I miss them every day! 😦

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            • I just scheduled posts for Tuesday and Friday, and so far, all is well with the Classic editor. Since I had already chosen it for my default editor, maybe it won’t disappear and I’ll be able to use as normal, with the reminder at the top that there’s “an easier way to post” and suggesting the Block Editor. We’ll see, I guess.

              Thanks on the doggy names. Their official names are The Phantom’s Sir Hairy Potter of Sanford, and Dancing With Wieners Star Maksim Hotdogski. (But don’t tell anyone I would do something so silly. It’ll just be between you and me. 😀 😀 😀 )

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  11. Hi Marcia, I used Gutenberg for a while. I didn’t like the blocks that break up my content. I like the paragraphs close together without too much space in between. So I emailed WordPress and they showed me how to switch back to Classic. I think there’s a way to switch back and forth. I can’t remember at the moment. I prefer Classic but I could make Gutenberg works. Good luck!

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    • Hi, Miriam. I like “white” space between paragraphs because they say it’s easier to read, but I like to be the one in charge of how much and where. I had opted to continue with Classic when they first introduced Gutenberg, and so far, it’s working today. I hope it continues to do so while I learn more about the block editor, in preparation for when the Classic one is deleted forever. (They say by 2023). In the meantime, it will remain my editor of choice just as long as possible. Yeah, I’ll figure out how to make the other one work, too, but not until I have to. 😀 I have heard SO many people say they hate it, I’m surprised WordPress would try to force us into it. But, I’m not going to quit blogging over it, so I’ll made do one way or the other, I guess. 🙂 Thanks for weighing in, Miriam. Have a great day! 🙂

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      • Yes, Marcia, I like to leave space between paragraphs or points also but as you said, I want to be in charge. The space created by the blocks are wider than what I want. The gallery or the grouping of the photos is not what I want either. I don’t think it’s any better than the Classic. I don’t know why WordPress goes with Gutenberg either, A wonderful week to you, Marcia! 🙂

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  12. Oh no! I’m still struggling with the old technology. What hope is there for me if I have to go back to the beginning again?
    Went into panic mode – but some slow, deep breathing has almost restored my equilibrium. (Don’t be surprised if any of you who seem to be coping with this get a desperate plea for help sometime in the unpredictable future!)
    I think I need to lie down somewhere dark for a few minutes…

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    • I know just how you feel, Trish. BUT, so far, my editor has not changed. When they started this new one up a year or so ago, they had a link at the top where you could opt to stick with the “Classic” one, and I selected it, and have continued to use it all this time. They said in their latest announcement that you would still be able to opt that one for two more years, before it would disappear. I guess I’m already set to do that, because it’s still working fine. And the link at the top still says I can click on it to switch to the new block editor. I’m not clicking on it until I have time to play around with it, which I WILL do, since it appears that eventually, it will be my only choice.

      Don’t you hate it when we lose our options? Options are ALWAYS a good thing, right? *sigh* But I don’t think you have to go lie down just yet. Do you even have a blog? If so, I’ve missed it and need to rectify that. And that’s the only thing this impacts–editing posts for your own blog. You MIGHT be totally safe. Fingers crossed! 🙂 ❤

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