Fortunately we have ‘Disable Gutenberg’ plugin

  • Idea of forcing users to use Gutenberg is so senseless, especially for long time WordPress users. You should build it as separate plugin only, fork whole WordPress as BlockPress or just build your own block-based CMS instead of making mess for dozens of millions users just because you have your own vision of editor’s area.

    Fortunately Jeff Starr wrote Disable Gutenberg plugin and we are able to use Classic Editor instead of your ideas.

    I really can’t understand why you didn’t mature Gutenberg as separete and fully developed plugin, test it for year or two on willing userbase and only after that introduce it as third option. Better to force people to use it? Seriously?

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

  • It’s now confirmed that Gutenberg will be the default editor in WP 5.0, but opt-out will be reasonably simple & effective via the Classic Editor plugin.

    Active planning for WP 5.0 includes detailed planning for the Classic Editor plugin within the release & confirms the Classic Editor plugin will be supported for many years.

    It would be time to communicate cristal clear:
    It simply does not matter that by installing Classic Editor (or any other plugin) we still have the possibility to opt out from GB just at the BEGINNING…

    Because the real aim and vision of GB is to replace not just the content editor but later even completely change other WP logic. That is why GB will not be a plugin, but will be merged into core shortly and that is why plugins like Classic Editor will simply stop working after some time.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by summoner.

    The conclusion that Classic Editor plugin won’t work after a while, assumes that the WordPress dev team won’t maintain the classic Editor in the future. That does not seem to be the case: Matt Mullenweg stated that it will be available years to come. And the WordPress dev team made a commitment a long time ago not to abandon users.

    Sure. – nothing last forever, nothing is ever perfect, and nothing is ever finished. – the Wabi-Sabi of web development and life

    Sure, just because of this Wabi-Sabi theory will many users and 3rd party devs just abandon WP at latest the time Classic editor will not work anymore.

    Who know what happens after two or three years? And why worry now?

    Why would people abandon WordPress? That depends who the user is.
    If it’s a business the switching cost to a complete different CMS need to be weighed against the cost to install the Classic Editor and keep doing what one is doing. – not leaving

    A developer actively working with clients, also needs to weigh his feelings against what’s good for his clients, and what will cost the least amount of disruption – probably not leaving

    If the user is a consultant, again weighing the switching costs for himself, his team and his customers against, the effort it cost to install Classic Editor.

    If the user is a developer associated with WordPress in her spare time, she might think that a different CMS would make it more fun. That might also be offset by developers who think WordPress has gotten cool(er) again with Gutenberg being based on a modern, JavaScript framework, and they find a new home in the WordPress Community. – maybe / not sure what the net-loss would be.

    If the user is a blogger, she will after the initial learning curve embrace Gutenberg as it make life so much easier with reusable block, she can loose a bunch of plugins that provided missing features now built into Gutenberg. There is lots to like for a content creator.

    My biggest problem with it is the number of sites I’ve built over the years will break the first time someone tried to edit them in Gutenberg and going back to client to tell them it’s going to cost them money to fix it is going to be hard sale when in some instances they have already paid thousands of dollars for a great web site that worked just fine.

    Simply installing the Classic Editor on each of these sites with prevent showing the Gutenberg Editor to all users.

    There are also several other plugins in the WP Repo which give more advanced options for disabling the Gutenberg Editor.

    The Gutenberg team ( & now WP Core) have put great effort into making sure opt-out is simple & effective. Whilst they definitely won’t follow suggestions to make the Gutenberg Editor opt-in, they fully understand that easy effective opt-out is a key option they need to actively support.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Neil Murray.

    If you install classic editor and continue forward doing your thing the old way and then in a few years from now it is decided that “many years” has passed and the classic editor will be discontinued, then you are borked even further.

    The Classic Editor is GPL & there also already several other plugins in the WP Repo which give more advanced options for disabling the Gutenberg Editor.

    Gutenberg was also written with ongoing opt-out in mind & maintaining ongoing support is very easy.

    The Classic Editor & these other plugins will exist as long as 1 person is prepared to continue to maintain these plugins.

    There are two mindsets:

    Developers – Change is exciting; it’s in their DNA. Improvement for them is new, revolutionary and innovative.
    Users – Change is hard work and interruption. They are focused on outcomes, benefits and profit.

    Gutenberg has developer’s fingerprints all over it and they are in control. Users are dinosaurs, obstacles to be cast aside, ignorant and obstructive.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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