In one word, NO! Please read FULL review

  • The interface is not cohesive in its design. For example, To place a block of a paragraph, a heading, a subheading, a bullet list and every other block, the user must click the + sign every single time, making it that much harder to ‘go with the flow’ of writing, and is cumbersome and time-consuming. Time-consuming: a click for each block instead of just writing. More clicks equal wasted time.

    The categories, featured image, tags, etc. must be manually clicked open to reveal the input interface, instead of it intuitively, by default, remaining open. Again, it’s too many clicks. Over a lifetime of clicks, hours are wasted on clicks.

    The + sign is located awkwardly on the upper left side of the interface, where it should be in the center because a majority of the workflow is taking place in the center.

    The blocks are yet another click necessary to insert a paragraph, heading, image, etc.; it’s just not intuitive and disrupts the workflow.

    It is nowhere near as intuitive as the current interface.

    This cumbersome and unintuitive change should absolutely not be a core code in WordPress, but rather, it should remain a plugin, giving the millions of WP users an opportunity to use it, or not use it, if they so choose.

    The current user interface works great and is intuitive. There is no need to ‘fix’ something that isn’t broken and is hands-down the best writing experience of any platform I’ve used in the last decade.

    I can only imagine the millions of people switching over to another platform should Gutenberg be made into a core feature. I for one will switch over to another platform should this disaster be implemented into WordPress.

Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

  • This is a good review, I’ve read a bunch on here that just say “Gutenberg is bad because it’s bad, the end”. Thanks for giving some great points. I too don’t like all the clicking and I think it could be streamlined more. Did you know that when this gets rolled out in core that there will be an option to keep the current TinyMCE editor? (according to Matt Mullenweg the WordPress founder)

    @jamieedwards ,

    Currently, they are only offering a plugin for the classic editor. That is supposed to keep things like TinyMCE intact as well.

    Hi @jamieedwards & @confusedfire.

    Problem is they consider this only a temporary measure, so those whose sites Gutenberg breaks can stick with the Tinymce editor a little longer.

    Why should we have to install a plugin anyway? Why not install Gutenberg if you actually want it? :-(.

    Plugin Author Tammie Lister

    (@karmatosed)

    @natrev121 thanks for your review. Could I ask is there an experience (in or outside WordPress) we could learn from regarding clicks? Do you also have some suggestions for the placing of the ‘+’ sign? I understand you really like the current one, but would love to see what you suggest within Gutenberg as solutions.

    Thread Starter natrev121

    (@natrev121)

    @karmatosed Less is always best when it comes to clicks as far as the editor is concerned. You can look to the current TinyMCE editor to learn how streamlined and intuitive it is without having to click as much, for instance, in Gutenberg.

    As far as relocating the + symbol, I would suggest placing that and all other functionality in the top center position.

    But as far as making Gutenberg a core permanent feature, it needs quite a bit more work to make the workflow considerably more intuitive, and the many items I’ve outlined may help to do that, in no way should anyone be forced to use this on WP when what we have currently works much better.

    @matt I appreciate the developers trying to revamp the editor, but again, if what works now isn’t broken and is working great, there’s no need for a replacement, especially in light of the hundreds, and potentially thousands of WP user not wanting this forced upon us.

    @jamieedwards the TinyMCE would be great if it were included, but everything else would require a revamp to make the editor streamlined like it is now.

    Jill Caren

    (@jcarenoptonlinenet)

    Thank you for writing this! I just spent the better part of yesterday WANTING to love Gutenberg. It was the first time I sat down and tested it and I too found it cumbersome and not intuitive at all.

    Why they did this with columns in beta is beyond me – but that was an epic fail to get work properly at all. Constantly adding new blocks to add content is NOT a good use of time or resources either. I also had trouble dragging and dropping things because of so many things overlapping others — the whole thing just frustrated me, so I can only imagine how my customers will feel.

    The learning curve on this is way too large for existing WordPress users. I have over 100 clients on WordPress — that are now expected to learn a new editor that they do not even want?

    As a developer who primarily uses ACF Pro to create administrative areas that are easy for my clients to update – this is a huge step backwards both for my team who is supposed to learn how to make Gutenberg work — as well as clients who now have to waste their time learning something new when what they have already works beautifully.

    I am open to change — but this is just not a positive one.

    We will only be using the Classic Editor – and are not adding Gutenberg to any of our client websites.

    Time-consuming: a click for each block instead of just writing. More clicks equal wasted time.

    I totally agree with this.

    I personally always use the WordPress Classic Editor in Text mode – nobody wants to waste time inserting paragraphs or creating <p> tags.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Cristian.
    • This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Cristian.
    • This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Cristian.

    @karmatosed I agree with a lot of what has been said in the review and comments. I don’t think it should be baked in to the core until there is a tool which determine if it is safe to upgrade a site or not.

    Getting down to specifics, one thing you guys may be able to fix is that the + sign above the blocks is obscured when you edit that block. If you want to add a block above that block you first have to click elsewhere, and only then on the +. Rather get the + to float to the right.

    The other thing that really has to be fixed is having text divided up into separate blocks. This is no good for writing but having a text block with the full Tiny MC editor would be better, perhaps with an option to split text blocks at the cursor so you can insert blocks with other content if you want to.

    In general, I don’t understand the motivation behind Gutenberg. It’s pretty crude when compared to the free versions of page builders such as Elementor and Beaver Builder. You would think it would need to be at least as capable and usable to win converts but it isn’t.

    Moderator Marius L. J.

    (@clorith)

    This review is, unfortunately, being diluted by tons of input that are other peoples experiences. Please create your own reviews or support topics instead of jumping on another users review, it takes away from the original posters experiences and the interaction with them.

    I’ll leave it open for now, as I want to give the original poster a chance to respond, but any more replies and it will be closed.

    @natrev121

    People complain too much about nothing. For content writing, use Markdown for formatting, voilá, “click on + sign” problem solved. Or use the Classic Block, finish all your writing inside it and then click on options > Convert to blocks, problem solved again. I don’t see how clicking a “+” button that never changes its position is slower than clicking buttons in different positions in the past.

    @allansjackson

    Something like Blocks > Formatting > Classic?

    @jcarenoptonlinenet

    You have 100 more work oportunities. I don’t understand how do you see this as a negative.

    ————–

    Most of you guys really have to explore Gutenberg a little more.

    @ogalinski

    I don’t see how clicking a “+” button that never changes its position is slower than clicking buttons in different positions in the past.

    In the Classic editor I don’t need to click any buttons to write text.

    @crosescu:

    Neither with Gutenberg + Markdown (speaking strictly about text & formatting).

Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • The topic ‘In one word, NO! Please read FULL review’ is closed to new replies.