Gutenberg

Simplicity. That was the hallmark of my migration to my own hosting domain for this blog. It was simple to install the WordPress software and plugins for spam, cloud caching etc. It was simple to install a personal theme for look and feel. The chosen theme itself is very minimalist.

The WordPress user interface – although a bit dated – was pretty easy to use. There was a spot to add a title,  place for a picture or two. The rest was just typing. Easy-peasy.

All that has changed – changed utterly – with WordPress 5.0. The latest version of the WordPress software comes with Gutenberg, a new content editor. Using it, I get the feeling most Microsoft Office customers must have had when the familiar text menu got replaced by The Ribbon.

Instead of the old reliable text editor input, the user is now confronted with what looks like a Powerpoint interface. The input goes into “blocks” of whatever – there is a title block, a paragraph block, an image block. In theory you could move these blocks around in your post if you want.

  • If I wanted to make a bulleted list like this.
  • Or this.
  1. Or if I wanted a numbered list like this.
  2. Or this.

I would have to choose a “list block.” In the old way of doing things I just selected my format in the menu.

I can see the utility of the new Gutenberg system, especially for webpage and website creation. However, my Bayse theme already looks after a lot of this for blogging. It keeps things in a simple one column format and doesn’t need the fancy Gutenberg features. Gutenberg in my blog workflow is like swatting flies with a sledgehammer.

There doesn’t seem to be any way to avoid the Gutenberg experience. There is a plugin I can install to roll back to the classic editor – for now. My very simple theme seems to be compatible enough and if it isn’t there are newer themes that offer total Gutenberg compatibility up front. All it takes is money.

So far the Gutenberg reviews have been mixed. Some of the issues were just the result of bugs in the Beta version of the software. Others disliked the fact that so far Gutenberg can’t replace true page building software. Many reviewers were like me – they see it as a complicated solution to the simple problem of writing a blog.

The original Gutenberg revolutionized communication with the printing press and movable type. Forgive me if I don’t see such a stunning breakthrough with  today’s WordPress version.

Published by Ray MacDonald

Ray MacDonald is a retired food scientist who lives in Almonte, ON.
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