Good morning all you lovely people 🌼 . How are you my dears? I hope life treats you well and if not that you get all the help you need.
You’ve probably seen my re-blog of Cyranny’s post about bloggers who have trouble using the new block editor.
So I took some time to have a conversation with a Happiness Engineer (my chemo-brain allowed some coherent sentences 😇) who kindly let me post it here.
Sadly he or she did not introduce themselves and I forgot to ask the name, so I can’t thank them.
Here is the conversation:
Bee: “Hi there, I am rather confused. You are called “Happiness Engineers”, but you seem to make many of my fellow bloggers rather unhappy. Could WP please be so kind and keep the classic editor. I feel you need some knowledge of coding to use it well and not everyone has the time to gain that knowledge. Does WP really feel they are so big now that they can lose often longtime and very loyal bloggers? That would be very disappointing! Kind regards B. Halton”
Happiness Engineer (HE) “Hi there!
That’s a very valid concern and I thank you for sharing this.
Please note that WordPress software is managed by WordPress community at https://wordpress.org and we adapt WordPress.org software for our hosting users.
The community has decided to move away from the classic editor and adapt the block editor.
Bee: “How long will that be possible?”
WE: “We are still trying our users to get access to the classic editor. They can do so from the wp-admin interface.
I can’t provide any timeline but we’ll try it as long as possible technically and not posing a security risk for our users.”
“Ok and where can I contact the WP community to let them know my concerns?”
“You can find them here: https://make.wordpress.org/“
Bee: “Thanks very much. Am I allowed to post our conversation on my blog so others can find help or show their concern too?”
HE: “Of course! Feel free to post this on your blog.
You can also use Classic Block in the block editor”
Bee: “Thanks very much. Have a wonderful day!”
HE: “The Classic Block provides almost all the features of the classic editor.
You can see more details about the classic block here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/wordpress-editor/blocks/classic-block/“
Bee: “It doesn’t seem to make any difference to those who have trouble with the block editor but thanks for the tip.”
HE: “Also, see https://wordpress.com/support/editors/#classic-editor on how to access the classic editor
It is basically the same steps that I told you (to go to wp-admin interface and access the classic editor)
Anything else I can help with or clarify for now?”
Bee: “No thanks very much. Have a wonderful day. Bee”
HE: “Please note that we love our users and always here to help them in anyways we can.
Thanks. You too!”
My next steps will be to contact the WordPress Community, however I need to rest a little now before I do that. I just wanted to let you know what they said to me.
I find the block editor unpractical but can handle it. I had these troubles with all the changes that WP made since I blog here and eventually got used to it.
However, I think this is a major and different change and bloggers who can’t get used to it should have the chance to do so and not be forced to leave.
One factor that worries me though is: ” Does using the old editor mean a security risk?”
Will need to research that. Stay tuned my dears… 🙋♀️🐝
the-bee-writes.com 
Hmmmm.. glad you contacted them! I’ll try later to do the same ☺️
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Thanks 🙋♀️🐝
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I have sign-in issues so will have to try again later 🧐
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I have the Business Plan so I am able to access a Plugin and use the Classic Editor. I’m not positive but because Plugins are like apps for you blog, maybe there’s a risk through that? On the other hand I know other bloggers who use Plugins and they’ve never had issues.
Instead of worrying about all of the things that the new editor does just find the ones that you need and practice with those. Like I learned to just write a post and then I went back and learned to use the various things that you could do with the media option and when I had the free time I went back and experimented with the various other ‘blocks’. My issue was that the block editor itself looks messy and that was a distraction. Anyway once you can get your posts up with your old speed and confidence you can go back and try out the new toys.
One thing I did pick up on was that some of the templates didn’t seem to work with the Block Editor ( I found that out on some conversation threads ) . Up to that point I thought it was me. Anyway, taking the slow approach is my advice.
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Hi there, thanks for the tips. From what I get everybody seems to have different issues. I do the same like you: write the post on the Grammarly page then copy it into WP and add the media. And just play around with all the options. 🙋♀️🐝
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There you go! That’s a great idea.
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I have noticed that the spacing I need between paragraphs for a cleaner look is easier with block, but it’s aggravating sometimes.. I think it’s something I need to overcome.. yes, going to go okay with the plugins later once I work out my issues with login for my online dashboard..
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This is the first I’ve heard of a security risk if I insist on using the ‘old’ editor. I blog through WP Admin anyway, so I think for now I’m safe from blocks and b.s. I’m posting the link to your blog post here in a post I wrote last week which includes a growing list of bloggers who are dissatisfied with the block editor AND those who have some solutions to the problem. Thanks for being someone who is trying to find a solution!
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You are very welcome and thanks for the link. I just read your post and the comment and feel like you: it’s a question of choice. I have no idea if it is a security problem. That’s just something I worry about. However I blog from WP admin too. Started it when they did the last change so it can’t be that bad. I tried many other blog plattforms and WP is simply the best because it encourages community with the like buttons, link-backs and easy commenting. So leaving to somewhere “better” will be difficult. Plus my experience is (I have done around 20 blogs in 10 years and stopped) you start at 0 because it needs a while for your readers to find you at the new place even if you mentioned it for months. And I am not willing to do that anymore. Plus no other is as easy to use despite the blog editor 🙋♀️🐝
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Bee, this was an excellent post, and so helpful to the so many writers I hear having same complaints. My blog is self hosted, so I’m on the wordpress.org platform that .com uses the same, except being self-hosted, I had a choice to move to the blocks or add a plugin called ‘classic editor’, which allows my blog to stay the same.Until …. WP did a big update a week or so ago and tons of bloggers like me were complaining as it didn’t play nice with some people’s blogs. Then I had to search around forums to find out why half the stuff in my editor wasn’t working, and learned there was a temporary plugin to download that would facilitate the old platform to be repaired until such time a permanent fix update comes. Ya, it’s a lot. LOL 🙂 ❤
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Thanks for following up on this and publishing the results! I find the block editor unwieldy for my super simple blog. I don’t like how it parses up the text either. Each sentence is not a block! Thanks for making your complaints known to WP.
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Thanks for sharing your conversation Bee.. I find the block editor time consuming and not appropriate for my book marketing and health reviews. I will stay with the Classic editor to the bitter end and then if I have to use the Classic block.. I will try to adapt to make it as simple as possible. I do find particularly for short stories and other posts where a consistent flow is needed the blocks are distracting and unnecessary. I also have concerns for sight impaired bloggers of which there are many now on WordPress. I also think that programmers do like to justify their salaries by fixing something that isn’t broken…
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Hi Sally, you are welcome and I fully agree. I was wondering about the sight-impaired bloggers. Will have to ask my friend Carol Anne, if she tried it and how she feels about it.
Your points with the work flow are mine too. That’s why I write my posts in the Grammarly editor now and copy and paste them into WP afterwards. Then I add which ever media I feel fits.
It’s cumbersome though. However I like that I have more options to add media.
When I feel better I will contact the WP.org people and see what they have to say.
Chemo takes its toll currently, so I need to be a careful how much I take on.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙋♀️🐝
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Thanks Bee and conserve your strength.. and stay safe..hugs
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You too 🙋♀️🐝
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