Thoughts on Gutenberg

[sugarbeatbc]

I have done a lot of reading on Gutenberg - both pro and con. I don't build a lot of websites, but I do look after a lot (and most are built on Genesis) and hold a lot of hands for people learning how to use a new site. I am leaning towards recommending site update to Gutenberg when it comes available, but I'm wondering what developers and other people much smarter than myself think about this new update. Does anyone want to weigh in?

[tatami]

I installed and activated the Gutenberg plugin a couple of days ago. Blocks take a bit of getting used to but I think they have promise. However, I did run up against a couple of problems. I've asked for help on the WordPress support forum but none has been forthcoming. The problems are:

Images. Using the Classic editor, I can left-align image captions by including code in my theme’s CSS: With Gutenberg, the code doesn’t work. Also, using Gutenberg unless I reduce the image size to a thumbnail, I can’t see the caption I’m typing since it appears on rather than below the image in the editor.

2. Videos. I’m using the YouTube block and I’m running up against three problems. I can’t find a way of setting the size of the embedded video. When I align the block left, the ratio of the video panel changes to square and again I can’t find a setting to adjust this. Unlike with embedded images, there is no margin to separate the video panel from the text that flows around it. With the Classic editor, I have added the code I added to my CSS style sheet no longer works.

I think adding images and videos is pretty basic stuff. So, in my opinion, Gutenberg is not yet ready for prime time.

[Tribulatio]

I have been testing each new version of Gutenberg on a mock website for the past ten months. It has not convinced me. I see what it brings and how it will be an exciting step for some websites. Moreover, the editor looks more modern. But my websites are heavily text-oriented, and the logic of blocks just does not work for most of them. If I had known about Gutenberg coming when I opted for WordPress as the new CMS for my websites three years ago, I would have selected another CMS.

Now, I am very pleased with WordPress, but very concerned about the future. I know that Genesis has made everything Gutenberg-ready, and I am grateful for that. But I feel that Gutenberg as an editor shouldn't be part of the core (although I can understand why it is made this way). For most of my sites, I will need to continue to work with the Classic Editor. I have installed the plugins Disable Gutenberg and Classic Editor on my sites. But WP seems to intend to keep the Classic Editor option only for a few years.

For this reason, I have been looking at the attempt by some people to fork WP and to launch Classic Press, now in beta. I will test it. It seems to offer an attractive option. But I am wondering, on the other hand, if Genesis will work with Classic Press in the long run? (I have used Genesis for all my sites.) It would be useful to know.

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