Gutenberg, Are you ready for the WordPress 5.0 text editor?

Jan 4, 2019

Gutenberg WordPress editorHappy New Year to all of our visitors and friends.  Our news today is that WordPress has just recently introduced Gutenberg 5.0.  Time has run out for those of us not wanting to make a change in the way we are editing content in WordPress.  This new editor for WordPress was implemented on December 6, 2018 in all of its glory.
This new Gutenberg editor is block- based and it will have a huge impact upon today’s web environment.  Some of our bloggers around the country have no clue as to what is about to happen as they blog along “unaware of a new sheriff in town.”
As a graphic artist and blogger, this new editing method will not only impact our life, but it will also become necessary for our designers to become familiar with the new editing method.  Gutenberg 5.0 is the first stage of a thee-stage strategy. The new block editor will impact all of us using WordPress.

The three stages of Gutenberg:

The first stage of Gutenberg is the rollout which has already occurred on December 6, 2018. The 2nd phase will focus on page templates, and the third stage will occur when WordPress will be transformed to a full website customization tool.  This new technology update will enable WordPress to stay in a number one position for CMS websites for years to come.

How long before the change is mandatory?

There are instances where updating to the WordPress 5.0 and Gutenberg is not feasible just yet.  For those of you who want to hold off a bit, the Classic Editor Plugin is still available for some time.  In fact, the old editor is available until December 31st of 2021.  But everyone of you using the WordPress editor now will need to switch over by that time.

Changes from the current editor to the new Gutenberg 5.0:

As you log into the backend of WordPress, you will see that the interface area we are used to has been changed.  It will now show only as a clean writing area with lots of space for your content to show up.  The settings will appear on the right.  By clicking on the “cog” icon you can open the document blocks.

Block editing with Gutenberg:

In Gutenberg everything is a block.  The new editor allows you to built your content all using the same block using a set of instructions.  It will take some effort but using the instructions for the first few times you blog is the best advice we can offer.  We are going to set up some training sessions in February.  Stay tuned and contact our team if you wish to be a part of our training class next month.

CMS developmentBuilding open source WordPress websites:

With the new Gutenberg editor you will be able to customize the finer details using the WordPress visual editor.  Some of the same methods you used before will also be available in the new Gutenberg editor, just in different locations.
This block editor will operate a bit more like a drag and drop method that some of you may be already familiar with. You will be able to drop blocks of text into a page or post.  Modify the blocks to represent different visual experiences within the design.  You will use multi-column layouts which is a great advantage. Gutenberg gives you extra functionality and you will need to use fewer widgets, shortcuts and plugins which were used before.
This will in turn save on the time needed before which was spent updating plugins.  No waiting to receive a fix to a plugin. There is plenty of support available online if  you have a question or concern.  You need to remember that you will, at first, need to spend time with trial and error while you are learning to grasp the new block editor.

CMS and GutenbergHow sophisticated is the new Gutenberg editor?

The new Gutenberg editor does have a learning curve so we don’t want to mislead anyone that it will happen overnight.  You will need to spend time learning the CMS system and get familiar with editing the website using the new method.  Our WordPress designers are available for those of you who feel the new editor is just too hard to master or feel you just don’t have the time to learn the Gutenberg editor.

A Message From a Designer

Making changes to your site can be daunting for a novice .  This is especially true for those of you who are using earlier versions of WordPress.  Many themes have prepared for the transition to Gutenberg. They offer content editing solutions that you may already be familiar with.  Check with your theme developers for the options that are available through your theme. If you run into a dead end, contact our team for alternatives to Gutenberg that might help you through a transition period.
Thanks for stopping by and stay connected for Part two next time.
Jean Holland-Rose

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