WordPress version 5 is due out over the next couple of months, probably within a month. You may be unaware that when WordPress updates it often introduces new functionality.
New editor is coming
We are currently on version 4.9, and the move to version 5 is likely to cause a stir in the community. For the past year the WordPress users community has been complaining about a new proposed editor called Gutenberg. It has been under test for around 1yr, possibly longer.
The current editor in use in WordPress is very simple, and has been around for years. It is called TinyMCE. Gutenberg offers the possibility of taking greater control over the layout space with the ability to create blocks, and add in specific types of media. This level of complexity is possibly a step closer to what the Elegant Themes Divi template does now.
Right now I cannot comment on it, because I have not tried it out yet. When version 5 comes out, you may find your old TinyMCE editor has disappeared and you are unfamiliar with the new editing interface.
Stay Calm and Carry On
I suggest the following:
- Don’t panic
- Give it a try, it is likely to be very intuitive
- It can do many more things than you have been able to do up until now
- If you don’t like it, check on the dashboard of your website and you will likely find a link somewhere so you can install the legacy editor.
If your world collapses around you when version 5 comes out give me a call, or contact me and I will get you started, or switch you back if you cannot figure out how to do it.
It is clear from a lot of the comments from long time users of WordPress that many people are opposing it. I am not sure why yet, it could be that flexibility (the ability to screw things up) has been removed as a result of this.
Generally speaking though, the current editor is a bit “old hat” these days and reminiscent of editors in the 1980’s.