Gutenberg is a new editor that is being released in conjunction with WordPress. What is it and should I use it?
Many people have been investing in Page Builders – either through the use of plugins or those attached directly to Themes. With the rise in popularity of the Pagebuilder, it really is no surprise that WordPress would eventually roll out a standardized page builder embedded in the software.
For those already familiar with the concept of a Pagebuilder, this new editor will not be as much of a learning curve. Of course some things will be different. Every programmer feels the need to do something “just a little bit better” which really comes down to different than everyone else, which means as a user you have to learn stuff all over again instead of having one standardized system.
For example, how do you add spacing? How do you add titles? Simple questions. Simple tasks. Yet the icons are slightly different for different Pagebuilders, and they are on different areas of the editor so you often have to hunt for things the first few times you use a new one. So, for the casual user, it’s always a bit of a treasure hunt. But if you keep in mind, “I know there is a way to do this – I just have to find out how”, instead of the mindset – “OMG they took away my ability to use emoji’s” etc.. Patience is a virtue when learning a “new” program.
The good news is, that because Gutenberg is being rolled out all across WordPress, it will somewhat standardize the Pagebuilding control panel and overall functionality across the industry. This, in the long term, should really help all users and designers who maintain more than one website.
Should I Adopt Gutenberg Right Away?
There are some reports that the editor may still be a bit “buggy” at the start, until more users adopt it and test it out. Some themes will work seamlessly with the new editor, some will have some problems with it.
For those who do not wish to adopt it right away, you can load and activate the Classic Editor plugin which will postpone your adoption of this new Pagebuilder until it has been tested and adapted a little bit longer.
Widgets Are Now a Thing Of The Past
Gutenberg is a building block system. You can just about put anything anywhere, much like if you were playing with lego blocks. In essence, widgets are now integrated into the page itself. “Special features” are not relegated to the sidebar or to the footer.
Obviously, this is great for advertisers – as you can put an ad in far more places. It is also more adaptive for cell phone use. In the past, the sidebars, which were prominently featured on desktop computers, were pushed to the bottom of the page on cell phones. Because of this many sidebars have basically become irrelevant, and overall page design must be reconsidered more with the cell phone in mind.
With Change Comes The (Shortterm) Chance of “Bugs”
The issue, of course, is for those who have already built a website using a different Pagebuilder – are they going to be able to communicate? Will this new addition to WordPress break their site? How do we test our themes and make sure everything works smoothly before our visitors start experiencing gliches because of incompatibilities?
A second question is for new people who are just getting started with WordPress, – is this yet another hurdle to jump over? Another steep learning curve when the process already seems complicated enough? There are some really nice, simple, easy-to-use page builder programs that are perfect for the beginner – they can get a decent site up and running without knowing too much. Will these options still be available?
The answer is, the leading Pagebuilding Themes are working hard to adapt to this new addition to wordpress, however there will also be many Themes that simply don’t work any more or are considered no longer relevant. There will be a sorting out process. Some websites will have to change the Theme they are using. Some will be able to adapt with what they have.
Why Did WordPress Make the Switch?
WordPress feels they need to adapt. They feel they need to think about the future. They don’t want to get left behind as the technology climate changes.
The market is shifting to more and more functionality demands from websites. Most people access websites by cell phones now, and they have come to expect a high degree of functionality from the site they visit – that doesn’t involve a bunch of reading. Videos are but only but one of these trends.
Think About How Many Web Designers Already Use PageBuilders.
More and more Web designers are already demanding pagebuilder themes or plug-ins. The market for these themes and plugins has really taken off. Gone are the days of the simple, boring template. Designers want flexibility and functionality.
There are also many other non-wordpress products and services out there that offer website building capability that have streamlined the website creation process, and WordPress needs to stay ahead of the market. While WordPress is not known for being the easiest platform to use, it is known as being the most versatile and the most extendable, expandable platform. They wish to keep it that way.
WordPress is an Open Source Platform
What this means is that they set their product out there, and thousands if not millions of contributors add to it, make programs, themes and plugins that compliment it, and simply make the platform as robust as it is today.
This can only be accomplished by keeping the “core” platform fresh and solid such that high value add-ons can be created. If top notch programmers start straying to other platforms, believing that WordPress is obsolete and clunky, WordPress has to step up to the table and give them what they want. Bring the talent back to the table. Re-focus the innovators.
This is Great For The Long Term… But What About Me?
Change is hard. Especially if you are standing on the side of the road watching the train go by and it’s not slowing down enough for you to be able to step on it. For many people, the WordPress platform they have now is “good enough”, and serves their purpose, so why do they have to change? But change they must.
In the short term, if you want to postpone the changes, consider adding and activating the Classic Editor Plugin. This will at least help you keep things “normal” until the bugs are all worked out.