I’ll second the disaster sentiment!
I’ve used WordPress since starting my blog 13 years ago. I’ve used HTML & CSS in the text editor almost exclusively (read: 98% of the time). I really don’t want, nor need Gutenberg or blocks.
You’re not making my writing any easier or faster—especially when Gutenberg’s current release it’s unusable. The blocks editing area is tiny on a 27″ screen. Editing or blocks are not intuitive in any shape or form. Even something as simple as adding an image into a text block has become painful in Gutenberg.
Currently I create a new WordPress document, defaulted to the text editor, I write. I don’t need some new inferior method introduced that will also force 3rd party plugin writers to have to support 2 methods of editing: Gutenberg and the “Classic Editor” plugin…. and that’s even IF they support “classic”.
When Coke tried to change their product to New Coke & Classic Coke, the outcry was deafening. Have we leaned nothing?
Making the “old” editor a plugin has already caused ill effects in Safari Mac when trying to Web Inspect a WordPress page. The page is not drawn correctly, many plugins are rendering as text, when there should be a visual rendering—not text.
I’m ready to jump ship if Gutenberg becomes the default editor. You’ve created a HUGE problem where there was none. You’re inflicting pain where there needs to be none. You’re already causing HTML rendering errors where there were none before (just view a page in Safari Mac Web Inspector).
I never thought I’d say: maybe it’s time to look at Joomla or just recreate my blog as a stand alone HTML/CSS website. And I’ll also have to look at and rethink all the work I’ve done for other WordPress blogs I’ve built and manage for clients.
If upheaval is what you were shooting for, you’re right on target! Why couldn’t Gutenberg be the plugin & keep “classic” as the core.
I’m not impressed & I doubt I’ll ever be. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it with an entirely new paradigm and backend.
I may need to download the previous non-Gutenberg version of WP, turn off auto updates & stay there until you all either come to your senses or I find an alternative. You’ve already made my life difficult enough. Thanks!