WordPress 5.8.1. – Even more pressure towards Gutenberg Dreibeinblog

WordPress is by far the most popular blogging system in the world, which has also increasingly established itself as a content management system (CMS). 34% of all websites worldwide are powered by WordPress. Many use WordPress to create websites for their business. These are usually one-page themes, in which all the advantages of the company are displayed on one page. A portfolio, a senior executives ad, client testimonials and a gallery of images of the business premises are typical here.

In order to make such pages look professional, many special themes (i.e. layout specifications for download) are used that are already geared towards this typical display. Part of such themes are page builders, i.e. page designers. These are extensive programs that usually make it possible to click together a website from building blocks using drag and drop without any prior knowledge.
Many hosting companies also offer such website builders.

This is where the WordPress in-house development called Gutenberg comes into play. This is also a system that allows WordPress users to build websites out of building blocks called blocks. A very nice idea and certainly a relief for some, although Gutenberg lacks the clarity and versatility of previous page builders.

It is completely incomprehensible and a completely wrong step that those responsible at WordPress want to let the normal (text) editor die out at the same time. Similar to WORD or PAGES, you can use this to create your blog posts, add pictures and design them extensively.

For a blogger, this is essential. Working in the so-called Classic Editor is quick and easy. Most bloggers have built a workflow that allows them to create fabulous-looking blog articles with little effort. Yes, if you want it to be even more convenient and don’t want to use shortcodes at all, you can also switch this editor to a WYSIWYG interface that is very easy to use.

A typical blogger does not need a block editor to design pages. At most, if he wants to design one of the few static pages (imprint, contact page, etc.) in a special way, he could wish for something like that. Otherwise, such a blog editor terribly stands in the way of smooth and professional work.

If WordPress remained in such a way that the Gutenberg blog editor would only be added, Gutenberg would be a nice addition that could make some people happy. But the fact is that the authors are almost forced to switch.
So far, you can still use the Classic Editor with a plugin. And it’s not at all surprising that this plugin is by far the most installed plugin. People just don’t want this Gutenberg nonsense as the sole editor.

With the current version 5.8.1. of WordPress, it’s also the widgets at the collar. These are small blocks with more or less useful functions that can be used preferably in the sidebar or the footer area (and often freely in the entire side area). They are used, for example, to display a calendar or to place advertising, etc.

But with version 5.8.1. the previous form of widget editing has been switched off. If you don’t want that, you have to get the plugin classic widgets to install. This plugin has also been installed more than 200,000 times, which only shows how much rejection the innovations introduced are met with.

And if you think 200,000+ installations so far wouldn’t be a lot, let me tell you that the Classic Editor plugin has already been installed over 5,000,000 times. Also, mostly because of Gutenberg, a quarter of all WordPress users still have version 4.9 installed without this block editor.

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