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I used WordPress (in the Classic Editor mode) for ages. i tried the WordPress Script (for custom blocks) npm pagage before i unsucessfully tried it todo natively with native nodejs. I created some custom blocks but it is so insainly complicated, that it seemes to be easier to create a custom CMS with Block functionality instead of learning WordPress blocks. That cant be the reality right now! Is someone in the same position or feel the same?
Sorry for my bad englisch (not a native speaker)
Yeah, the old joke goes that a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee.
The initial promise was for an editor overhaul that would make WordPress as easy for beginners to use as Wix, Squarespace, and, especially, the dozens of new 3rd party page builders.
Clearly there was a pressing need for a replacement for the old “classic” editor with its rats nest of shortcodes, widgets, metaboxes, templates, and custom fields
But if a camel is a horse designed by committee. Gutenberg is a builder that was designed by full-stack React programmers, mostly enterprise contributors, who knew how to code for WordPress but never used it themselves.
It’s extremely hard to use.
You are not alone. Probably, most devs feel this way. Which is why “classic editor” plugin is one of few most installed plugins in wp. Block themes are used on small bumber of sites etc.
The very first thing I do when creating a new WP site is to disable everything related to blocks and “Patterns” and install the Classic Editor plugin.
Yes it is doomed. The block editor is the future. I’m not a fan of the fact that the “right way” to create custom blocks involves json and javascript, but you don’t have to do it that way. It’s very easy to make custom blocks with ACF for example, which is all done in PHP. The user can then preview the blocks on Gutenberg and you have full control over that.
If you’re sticking your head in the sand and just turning off the block editor you’re doing your clients a disservice, because that’s the future. Don’t build them themes that were due for extinction in 2018.
I have clients who find it difficult enough to use front end editors like Elementor and backend editors like WP Bakery or Divi. There is no way my clients would be able to easily use Gutenberg. It just isn’t user friendly, even for developers. One of the first things that I do with a new site is to install Classic Editor and Classic Widgets.
WordPress and ACF is and hopefully will be there for some time but i hope we will find a successor for that solution. Time is not our friend here probably.
Far from it.
First thing I do on every fresh install is remove Gutenberg. Then I use Carbon Fields to build whatever I want.
It’s amazing.
I feel like we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even 6 months ago it would be a heresy to say anything bad about about React or Guttenberg in this channel. Hopefully larger community will realise the path forward is to embrace PHP once again. Long live the Republic.
In other words… would it make sense to build a custom CMS because of that? And search for funding etc. I Just want to have things simple for everyone. And i do not see this in WordPress.
I feel like there’s currently a large enough contingent of us who firmly live in the Classic world. As long as we don’t stop making our opinions heard, I think Classic will remain an option.
First thing I do is quit using WordPress and built my own backend off Python Flask.
I wont be surprised if WordPress gets forked at this point. Or WIx and Squarespace will start passing up WordPress, or both.
There’s no clear direction of where the platform is going. The Gutenberg dumpster fire has been a huge failure so far, which has turned a lot of old and new site designers away towards other platforms.
I’m not saying that WP is on its deathbed, but they’re not doing any of its users any favors with the way things are going right now. I very much prefer using it with a page builder (Bricks) over any blocks system. Hoping that Etch fixes that if/when it comes out. Or maybe someone else will come up with a better solution before then.
Yeah not a fan of blocks and the block editor. About ten years ago I was on a team that built a site for a pretty big lighting manufacturer in my state. We used Flex Content and ACF to do everything. The non-technical product owner on the manufacturer’s side absolutely lost his shit in gleeful joy when I showed it to him, he immediately understood how to update things (it’s a series of forms, pretty much anyone even partially exposed to the Internet can figure out what’s being put down there).
Never quite had a client reaction to Gutenberg like that. “um… so, how do I *do stuff*?” is usually the reaction. It’s too complicated for clients to figure out quickly. And in my experience, clients don’t need *or want* the level of flexibility it offers. They (mostly) want a template form where they can input data (in a simple way) and have it spit out something that looks like the other pages on their site with perhaps a few tweaks here and there. The ones that think they want that are quickly disabused of that notion once they actually get into editing and realize they have a whole new “thing” to learn. It’s like expecting someone who needs to resize and crop photos to learn Photoshop, back in the day.
Developing the blocks is also hellish complex. Combined with the fact that there are several flavors/iterations of Gutenberg and you do have quite a bit of freedom in how to implement them: I have one site inherited using block patterns and a synced blocks plugin, and another site inherited using all Typescript and React to implement the blocks. So from what I’ve seen, inheriting sites made in the last five years, there’s also an array of different implementations all flavored with a variety of dev touches (not a problem that is unique at all, but still yet another issue for the complication).
Neither side, client or dev, seems super happy with what’s going on.
The block editor is the future. If you install classic editor by default then you’re refusing to adapt, and those who refuse to adapt will always be behind.
The block editor is easier to update. My clients HATE messing with elementor, which is always buggy and slow. Somehow most “developers” stick with elementor though, and I have to work with it often, usually because a client broke something or wants it changed entirely.
I can set up a site with the block builder in such an easy-to-update way and keep things much more simple. Much faster.
Get with it. I ignored it for a few years but now I love it. Classic editor is limited. It sucks. It’s okay for simple things I guess.. but gutenberg lets you customize a lot, while keeping the interface very simple. Makes no sense to avoid it because you’re set in your ways.
End of rant. I seen a lot of comments hating on it so had to say this haha
Looks like you are not accustomed to developing and change.
As a blogger with 0 coding skills who used WordPress Gutenberg for his site. When I hear professional web developers not embracing Gutenberg.
I know exactly why they are a freelancer leeching on small businesses and why they’ll never get a job in a real web development environment.
[https://www.classicpress.net/](https://www.classicpress.net/)
I’ve become comfortable making block patterns and custom block for use in the block editor. It gives my clients just enough freedom to manage their site without completely screwing it up. Initially, I was resistant and installed classic editor, but embrace the block editor after a while.
I resisted Gutenberg for about 2 years, always installing the Classic Editor plugin. One day I gave Gutenberg a proper go and realised it was about 10 times better for writing blog posts.
It reminds me of doing page layout with tables again. Ohh i need a column here and then two groups and …. Ugh.
I was the same, but then decided to move on with the modern way. It was a struggle at first, mostly because I had to get away from the idea that I needed to build every component myself, the way I had always done.
I also had a hard time finding the “sweet spot” of simplicity and function. I’ve always hated bloat. I hate page builders. I hate the mentality of installing a million plugins on a site. I hate extraneous anything.
I ended up settling on a system I like very much now: Astra theme (lightweight, quick, simple but powerful customization, many built in templates), with Spectra (mostly because it associates with Astra, but it’s a good suite), and GenerateBlocks (really basic, only a couple of blocks, but they allow you to customize the crap out of everything and build almost whatever you want) plugins.
Then you have to teach the clients. I find that a 15-20 minute run through of a few important basics – the Document Overview (left panel) is key, also editing styles in the Block settings, how to drag things around, how to get back to the important view if you click something wrong and screw up. Then they are able to make thier posts and even feel like they are accomplishing complex tasks.