Moments ago, I updated my WordPress website to version 5.0 and got the Gutenberg editor as part of the bargain. Now, I have to say I am all for new things. In fact, I had previously tried out Gutenberg when it was still available as a plugin. The reasons why I switched back to the Classic WordPress editor then are the same reasons why I have had to do so now. To put it mildly, Gutenberg sucks. Indeed, the new WordPress editor, which is now the default editor with WordPress 5.0 sucks big time.
It’s all about productivity, dammit!
Now, I have nothing against the team behind WordPress. Indeed, they usually do a stellar job, save for a few instances when things that should be intuitive are not available (continuous numbering as an example).
However, in spite of all the good work, whoever is behind WordPress really messed up with the Gutenberg editor. There are a number of reasons why I have had to reinstall the classic editor on my site less than 30 minutes after getting Gutenberg.
- Gutenberg limits productivity. I know, part of it probably had to do with the fact that the editor was new to me and I still needed to learn the ropes, but the main concern, as far as I am concerned, is creating content, and not on spending hours trying to find my way around the backend of my own website.
- The new WordPress editor is clearly very difficult to use. Somebody or the other must have decided that blocks are the way of the future, yet they really don’t do much, other than serve as a novelty. I know, there is everything to be said about modernity, but people behind the technology that drives our lives should not be obsessed with change simply for the sake of it.
- Gutenberg is really slow. Now, I would probably have stayed with Gutenberg were it not for this factor. Having the cursor freeze each time I clicked on a word while writing an article for my website finally did it for me. I mean, I just want to write, for Pete’s sake. That’s a difficult enough chore without adding to it the fact that the editor constantly freezes along the way.
Users don’t like the Gutenberg Editor
If you think I am the only one who hates the new WordPress Gutenberg editor, then you are very much mistaken. The above screenshot shows the ratings that were left on the Gutenberg download page during the trial period for the Gutenberg plugin.
A Matter of Arrogance
The fact that the people behind WordPress still decided to push Gutenberg, despite the fact that it had received a measly 2.5 star rating during the trial period, smacks on arrogance. Someone should have taken note of this before making Gutenberg an integral part of WordPress. Anyway, getting back to the standard editor is easy enough, as we mention in this article.