Switching Back to the Classic Editor

~ Bookstooge

I don’t know if this will work for everyone but it is worth a shot. If you have been switched over to the block editor against your will, see if this works to get back. I know that I have NOT been forced over to the Block Editor even though it was trumpeted all over my homepage that June 1st was the day it was going to happen. Whatever the reason, it hasn’t.

I use chrome so if you use a different browser things might look a tiny bit different in the pictures below.

 

Step 1:

Start a new post while being terrorized by the block editor. I personally authorize any use of force you feel necessary, all the way up the nuclear option. We will not be held hostage by damnable traitorous terrorists! Or self-important computer engineers with their heads up their fundaments.

Step 2:

Over on the top right, there are 3 dots. Click those dots. See picture below:

step1

 

Step 3:

Scroll down to the bottom and click on the “switch to classic editor”. See picture below:

step2

 

That should do it. I’d be really interested to hear from those of you who were forced to use the block editor to see if this works for you. I’m also including a link to the forums where you can voice your complaints about the block editor.  I’ve complained and I’ll probably go back and complain some more.

Complain About the Block Editor!

 

bookstooge (Custom)

65 thoughts on “Switching Back to the Classic Editor”

        1. I’ve been thinking on and off about moving to dotcom and just using wordpress.com to host (so I stay in the WP ecosphere) but man, if this block editor is the default, I’m not paying them money to screw me over like that!

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    1. Oh Will, I have TRIED so hard to make the block editor work to produce posts like I always have. I just can’t do it and I’m not about to spend 3 times as long fiddling with my posts to do so 😦

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    1. Well, 1 week ago they stated that the forced changover was happening June 1st. That obviously hasn’t happened, at least not for me.

      I’d be interested if you can find a link about that “year of grace” period…

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      1. I thought someone had posted about it supposedly being a year for paying subscribers. I noticed when I posted Monday morning it stated that I could use the classic. How happy I was because oh how I was dreading it! 😆

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  4. Good for you Bookstooge! You show that Block Editor who is boss!!! I’m keeping a careful eye on Blogger because after my brief switch to take a look at their incoming new set up, my blog was going haywire with dancing text and things switching without me asking it too. This better not be a sign of things to come.

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    1. Thanks 😀

      I’ll be keeping an eye on what you think of blogger if/when they force a changover. I’m really hoping blogger doesn’t force it and backs off, kind of like wordpress seems to be doing.

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    1. They seem to be backing off on forcing people just yet. I do know that anyone who signs up for a new blog HAS to use the block editor. We’ll see what happens in a couple of months when they try again 😦

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      1. In the link you posted, I’m going through the thread and two “older” users are giving it to the thread moderator about how the block editor complicated, dictating what their post is laid out not themselves, and everything else.

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  10. It’s even possible to revert to an even older version of the interface, I do that to make my images clickable & open to another tab. Easier than use the html code. To do that click the symbol at very the bottom left.

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    1. Actually, I can do that picture thing in this editor too. Once I select the picture I just click the “link” icon in the toolbar and check the box that says “open in a new tab” and then hit ok, and voila.

      Technically, I think WP has 3 different editors going on. the real “classic”, which I believe is what you are talking about, the gutenburg editor (which is what I’m using and talking about) and then the new block editor. Good thing it isn’t confusing, right? And WP makes it even worse by conflating the classic and the gutenburg…

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      1. Ah, good to know, didn’t know that feature in gutenberg, thanks! I wondered why they dropped that function, so they didn’t actually, only made it harder to find. 3 editors indeed.

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        1. It makes me understand why they want to consolidate, but then that begs the question of why they created the block editor in the first place :-/

          They created the problem and now we are the ones paying the price. I’d love to physically kick somebody’s butt at the moment…

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          1. I don’t think it matters much to them which one we use, the oldest version is still there, it’s basically all just an interface to generate html. They think newer users, or those not very text oriented will feel the new interface easier, and thus like the brand better, so they make the new one default. Other users are free to use the older ones.

            Also: their employees need to ‘do’ stuff. Suppose they would never do development again: what to do with all the software designers they hired?

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  11. Thank you for breaking heavy teck speak down to a post with pictures included man. I had two posts made with block editor and figured out a way to totally dismiss it for the time being. Everytime i write a new post now it will give me a “hey, why not try the new shit out” to which i just click on the “fuck off” button. Ill have to see about what browser we use to see if i can find your chrome way of doing things. Thanks for helping out.

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    1. Glad you figured out a way to dismiss the block editor. Are you writing using the wordpress app though? That is very different from the website and not sure if this option would work for you.

      But either way, I hope this can help out somewhat.

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  12. Ha ha! I’ve gone from “it’s driving me crazy!” to “I’ve almost got used to it now.” It reminds me a little of George Lucas constantly tinkering with his original Star Wars trilogy. “George, for goodness sake just leave them alone, please!” People love to tinker!

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    1. Glad you are getting used to it. I suspect that wordpress is counting on that kind of experience and that most people are NOT going to just up and leave.

      Speaking of Star Wars, I still have my Special Edition vhs boxset. Don’t know why, to be honest, as I haven’t owned a vhs player in almost 15 years 😀
      But as for comparing, I’d liken the block editor to the new sequel trilogy….

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      1. Ouch! I don’t know if it’s quite that bad…😂 Envious of your vhs boxset. I wish I still had my old original edition widescreen boxset on vhs. I’d buy a player just for that!

        I was having some problems using the block editor working on my review today. Still getting used to it. By the way, I switched to Firefox and can now Like posts on WordPress websites again. Thanks for your tips!

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        1. Hahahaha, “I” think its that bad 🙂 Hence my mini-crusade against the block editor. As for the original star wars, I ended up buying the gold dvds that had the original widescreen on one disk and the vhs transfer on the second. With no meddling by Lucas! 😀

          I have a feeling I’ll be forced to use the classic block once the block editor becomes the de facto editor :-/

          So clearing your cache didn’t do it in Chrome, eh? Oh well, at least you found a solution that worked.

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          1. I’d hope they would leave us all the option of using the original editor but I hope for a lot of things that will probably never happen 😬

            Laserdiscs? Or 24 carat gold DVDs? Even more envious now. They should retitle it the “tinker-free version”!

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            1. Oh, sorry. The “gold” refers to the case. It was the only release of the dvd’s that didn’t have Lucas’s meddling and I believe it was actually unofficial because of the mess Lucas made of the official North American dvd release (putting in Hayden at the end of Return of the Jedi in the force ghost scene, etc).

              But yeah, tinker free. I treasure them 😀 😀 😀

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                1. When I saw that scene, I was so angry. That is what got me to track down the gold editions and buy them, legal or not 😦

                  Of course, now I have a lot of my movies in digital format, so I can get whatever version I want from the internet, but then? That wasn’t so much an option…

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  13. Still not switched over, and the change of announcement on the home page makes me think that they might be re-evaluating the whole thing.
    Knowing there is a way back, I might even try to see how this new editor looks, but right now I don’t feel so daring… One of these days… Maybe 😉

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    1. They’ve backpedaled, hard. The announcement has changed for me too and for others so that is good.

      I would HIGHLY recommend trying the block editor, just for one post, so you can see how it works for yourself. Because who knows, you might be one of the Chosen that it seems to click with (I doubt it, as even the most encouraging thing I’ve heard from others is that they’ve “gotten used to it”. Not exactly high praise 😀 )

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    1. glad to be of service.

      And I highly recommend following the link I put in the post and letting wordpress know you hate it. You don’t need to articulate anything. Just let them know you hate it. If we keep silent they think we like it and they’ll force it down our throats all the sooner 😦

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  16. I’m glad that the classic editor is somewhat still there for you though. Ever since I switched to the block editor, the whole process of relearning the ropes made me realize that this was going to relatively tough for some folks. Some changes are permanent, some require some research throughout the interface, and some require much more digging, especially in the HTML codes to get stuff done. I have no idea what their plan is with this new structure but I hope that they’ll try to be user-friendly or at least deliver great customer service! 😮

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    1. I figure if worst comes to worst, I can use the classic block and just complain for a couple of months solid and make everyone as miserable as me 😀

      *’cause that’s how the internet works 😉 *

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    1. You can, but I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the visual part, so I gave it up.

      Plus, I’m not an html coder. I like my buttons so I just have to press something 🙂

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  18. Hey love, I’ve done a little html coding in the past. Remember me complaining about having to code at work the year before we married? Therefore, if you are ever forced to change, I can set you up on my day off. Let me know what you’d like to accomplish, k?

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  19. Pingback: June ’20 Roundup & Ramblings | Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road

    1. I “think” that phase is over, ie, them switching people against their will. They got a lot of pushback.

      Unfortunately, not enough, as the block editor is here to stay 😦

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