Thank you to Hugh Roberts for featuring my blogging question about the Gutenberg Editor. He has given me just the push I need to give it a try. Have you used the new editor on Word Press? If so, do you agree with Hugh?
Published by Retirement Reflections
Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.
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Retirement Reflections 
Donna, you must have been reading my mind. Just this afternoon I was thinking that I had better find some time to try Gutenberg soon! Thanks to Hugh, it sounds like I will grow to love it.
Deb
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Hi, Deb – Great minds DO think alike! I have been greatly inspired (and relieved) by Hugh’s answer. Now I just need to clear an afternoon and take the leap)!
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I still haven’t used it either but I guess I need to get with the program. Thank you for your question and Hugh’s answer (and, especially the links to the tutorials). I love that it allows subheads and font size changes on the fly… both abilities I’d like to have.
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Hi, Janis – I’m sold on the features that you mention as well. I had always planned to try Gutenberg, but after my ‘BIG SWITCH’ to WP.com this past summer, I wanted to give myself a little break first. Then somehow, I just got comfortable here! 🙂
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Hi Donna – I haven’t used Gutenberg. From Hugh’s post, it sounds like a useful editor. Sometimes we need to step outside our comfort zone and try something new. Finding a ‘free’ afternoon to do it may be the biggest challenge 🙂
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Hi, Natalie – You’re right about finding a free afternoon as being the biggest challenge. How this is a problem in retirement, I have no idea!! Where, oh where does my time go? 🙂
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Hugh’s post was very helpful, Donna. I’ve shied away from Gutenberg only because I’m happy with the classic editor. But I do like two of the enhancements he mentioned (subheadings and the moving around of paragraphs/blocks). And now I finally understand what the heck a block is. 🙂 Thanks! – Marty
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Thanks, Marty – I wasn’t completely sure what a block was either. I have also been comfortable with the Classic Editor. Sadly, all good things must come to an end….and new horizons must be explored! 🙂
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Donna – I have been using Gutenberg since it was first offered. It did take me a while to figure some things out but generally, I have had no problems with it. I was still in my first year of blogging so I wasn’t entrenched in the Classic Editor as others might be. I agree with Hugh – you just need to jump in and start using it. Now I can’t imagine using anything else!! Good luck!!!
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Hi, Linda – Thank you so much for stopping by. All of these added bits of encouragement are very helpful…and greatly appreciated! 🙂
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I’m still using the classic editor…I horrible when it comes to change. Thank you for this, Donna! I will put it on my list. 🙂
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Hi, Jill – I’m funny about change. I’m usually good if I promptly embrace it. But if I hesitate….the change gets harder and harder for me to make!
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Hi Donna I made the leap and started using Gutenberg in the trial stages. I do prefer the Classic Editor which I still use (depending on my mood). Like anything we have to be patient and open our minds to new things. I think I’ve mastered Gutenberg now but yes I still prefer Classic – Classic in everything for me – style, fashion and blogging! Have a great week and thanks for asking Hugh the question. xx
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Thanks, Sue – I think that you answered my next question. If I “try” Gutenberg, can I still switch back to the Classic Editor anytime that I like? That option would make trialing much more comfortable!
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Hi Donna, yes you can. There is actually a box you can click on in Gutenberg to use the Classic Editor. Gutenberg isn’t difficult it just takes some getting used to. Thank you for sharing at #MLSTL and I’m sure you aren’t alone in feeling the challenge of making the change. xx
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I think I’m still using the editor that predates Classic (assuming Classic is the one that looks like the app). I’m just traditional 😉. Eventually I’ll move but at the moment it works and I don’t have time to think about it. When I give my blog the complete overhaul i’ve been promising it for aeons perhaps!
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There’s still an editor that predates Classic?! I’m impressed!! Your blog looks great so It is totally working for you!
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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! But I know I’ll have to move eventually.
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I think the end date for the Classic Editor is 2020. But you never know, it still could be extended from there!
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Hi Donna
This is great. I was just involved in a chat with a WP Happiness engineer since I was having some issues with editing. He said I could go back to the Classic Editor, but when I asked for a link for a tutorial to the new editor, I didn’t get fone. I think the Happiness Engineers are overwhelmed – I couldn’t even get access to chat one day ! So I took lots of cues Hugh and archived the links he posted so I can go to them later. I am such a dinosaur – whenever I used to get new software, new email, new wordpressing, I was… “waah, waah, waah” 😦 ha ha. I think any time we are presented with something totally new, it can come as a bit of a shock and we need time to adjust.
Speaking of adjusting to change: My 36 year old son (who does have mechanical skills) bemoans the fact that vehicles have the hood opening latch in all kinds of different places now. He says what’s the matter with having it in the middle of the hood where it was always on cars for many many years and easily operated. We go through this every time I ask him to open my hood and I have to go pull out my manual! My point being, some things are better left alone.
Thanks for sharing this new knowledge with us, Donna! I’m going to try to expand my thinking and try to give this a chance. We shall see.
Greetings from rainy northern California,
Susan
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Hi, Susan – I am sorry to hear about your WP frustrations. I’ve been there….and never want to go back! I’m glad that Hugh’s links were helpful for you.
BTW – I completely agree with your son regarding the hood latch thing!! 🙂
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I agree with your son! How many times have I struggled to open the hood of the car? Too many to count. Haha!
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HI Donna, I am surprised so many have not tried it yet. If I was to have one New Year’s resolution, it was to post using the editor. I’m really happy with it. FYI, when I make adjustments to my PAGES, I still use the classic editor…but for posts, it is SO much more creative. Example, I use headings more often now, which makes layout nice. Plus, you can highlight a block (a paragraph) in a color to set if off from other words in the layout. Plus if I’ve just edited an image but already started the post I can simply upload the image using the editor right into the post without having to go back and add it to media library. That action saves it to your media library. I am still slow and steady at it, and using the basics now, but I am very happy with it and other bloggers will find it easier. I even updated a older post and had no difficulty. You can see everything I have post this year is with the Gutenberg Editor. I did view a couple of tutorials which helped a little. Best thing is to just sit down and do it. Oh and I schedule my post as one of the last steps.
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Hi, Terri – I’m impressed that you made this a New Year’s resolution — and that it has worked successfully for you. I am inspired by the features that you and Hugh have listed. I look forward to checking them out.
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I love those little elves at the help desk that are always waiting for my next question 🙂 Have I used the new editor, yes I have, and yes I still use the Classic, a simpler version. Why fix something that wasn’t broken. Though having said that my husband loves to change computer programs on a regular basis, I won’t let him near mine 🙂
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Hi, Susan – Being able to switch back and forth between editors is a great safety net. This allows a baby-steps option….which usually works best for me!
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I think you’re pretty much reflecting all the WP users I’ve seen online Donna – they hate the change, but know that once they get used to it, it will all be fine. I’m happy that Blogger hasn’t made any big changes since I’ve been blogging – I’m not a fan of change (although change seems to happen regardless!)
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Hi, Leanne –
Yup, change does seem to happen if we like it or not.
If only things could stay still long enough so that I can catch my breath! 🙂
I’m glad that Blogger has been treating you well. Your site looks great — and hassle free is always the way to go!
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Hi Donna – just popping back to say a) thanks for your lovely compliment about my blog (I’m having a bit of a ‘what do I do next’ time atm!) and b) Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂
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Hi Donna – so interesting to read this and to go through Hugh’s post relatively thoroughly … though I use blogger – life may well change. Take care and thanks for pointing us towards Hugh for the Gutenberg editor … and I love your pink set up!! So clean … cheers Hilary
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HI, Hilary – I’m happy to point all fellow bloggers towards Hugh. He has a great site, offers awesome blogging tips, and is a wicked story teller! I believe that you will both enjoy each other’s posts.
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Thanks so much for reblogging and sharing my review of the Gutenberg editor with your readers, Donna. But a bigger thank you for asking the question that sparked the post.
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Hi, Hugh – Thank you so much for answering my question first. It felt a bit like winning the lottery. (Okay, just a little….but you get the idea)!
The details that you provided were extremely helpful.
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Thanks for this question, Donna. I’ve tried the Gutenberg editor but didn’t stick with it. You and Hugh have inspired me to try it again. I’ve been in denial about the classic editor going away but 2020 is right around the corner. I am usually an early adopter to change (that was my reputation when I was working) but this one had me stymied. As with so many things, patience and continued working with it are the answer. I’ll try again!
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Hi, Molly – I’m like you I’m frequently an early adopter….until I’m not! I do like that we can try Gutenberg and then go back to the Classic Editor whenever we like….at least until 2020. See you there!
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NO I Have Not! Nor do I want to. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Classic is good.
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Hmmmm, I wonder what your feelings are about this, Ally! 🙂 Thanks for the morning smile!
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This was really helpful and I saved it for future reference. I tried Gutenberg briefly and didn’t like it. First I was angry because my blog had updated to it with no notice. I was in a hurry one day and there it was! I quickly converted back to classic editor. I need time to work with it and learn to use it. I am happy with the classic editor, so I am not very motivated to try it soon!
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Thanks, Michele – I have been avoiding Gutenberg like the plague. Hugh’s post has given me motivation to give it a try. Now I simply need to find a free afternoon! 🙂
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Thank you so much for this post! I didn’t write many posts last year and was unaware that WP had introduced Gutenberg. I started to see complaints about it in posts I was reading and thought I ought to have a look to see what all the fuss was about. I still haven’t got around to it, I’m afraid but you have encouraged me to have a go now and see how I get on.
Thanks, Donna and Hugh!
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Hi, Clare – Thank you so much for dropping by. I am glad that you found Hugh’s post to be helpful. I look forward to seeing more posts from you this year.
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Hi Donna,
I’ve avoided some of this by just doing the visual builder in the DIVI theme…there were some minor adjustments which I made…I’m newbie enough that even small changes mess with me so I’m sticking with what I know and is working for me.
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Sticking with what works for you sounds like a good plan to me! Your DIVI theme looks great!
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I am a bit scared of gutenburg! I installed a plug-in that allows me to toggle between gutenburg and the classic editor but I don’t! I stick to the classic. I did have a bit of a play with gutenburg but I didn’t like it. I guess I need to make some time to give it another try! 🙂
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HI, Min – Hugh’s post caught me right in the middle of vacation planning (always a priority for me), so I haven’t yet gone ahead to experiment with Gutenberg. But, Hugh did give me the confidence and encouragement to do so. I now look forward to trying it out soon. I will let you know how it goes!
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I spent a few fitful weeks worrying about the new editor, but eventually decided to install the Classic Editor and leave well enough alone for now. I know we will all be using Gutenberg soon enough, since they intend to suspend support for the Classic. I just don’t feel I can give the energy to learning anything new right now—that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! LOL But thanks, Hugh and Donna, for bringing it forward!
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Hi, Diane – I agree that our timing for learning new things makes all of the difference in the world. If we have too many other things going on, one more thing can truly upset the apple cart. Sounds like a good decision to me.
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Hugh’s explanation was very thorough. As a user of Blogger, learning to use Gutenberg doesn’t apply to me, however. When Blogger introduces changes, they are usually in the backend – new templates, more functionality, etc. – that don’t change the feel of the program at the front end.
Jude
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Hi, Jude – I agree that Hugh’s explanation was awesome. I greatly appreciated his calm, thoughtful approach. I do like many of the things that I hear about Blogger. There’s much to say for consistency!
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Not yet, waiting until they work out all of the bugs. Tried it on a clone of my site and didn’t like it as it is at the moment.
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Hi, Dee – Waiting until the initial bugs are worked out is also a good idea. Hopefully, most of them are worked out by now…but you never know!
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I’m using it on my astrology site and on my author site (not that I’ve written much there of late). I’m not enjoying it, but I am getting used to it. I found it interesting that one of the “pros” in your linked post talks about subheadings – the exact issue I’m having problems with & disliking…a reason for me to look further into how I’m using it, I suppose.
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Hi, Jo – Interesting comment about the subheadings. I regularly used subheadings when I self-hosted my site. Funny, I haven’t missed them since! 🙂
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I left my comment on Hugh’s post, but yes, I’ve been using the new editor since it was introduced and although it does require a bit of a learning curve, I adapted quickly and I love it. Great post by Hugh. I agree with everything he said!
… now if only they would give me the word count back. I suspect my posts might be getting a bit long 😉
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Hi, Joanne – I agree that Hugh did an awesome job on this post. I’m happy to hear that you are regularly using Gutenberg and are enjoying it. I must confess that I am sensitive to “long posts.” I have never found your entries to fit into that category. You do break up your text with pictures which I greatly enjoy!
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Thanks for the nice feedback. I used to watch the word count very carefully to try to keep my posts under 500 words. Now I’m left just hoping I haven’t drifted too far.
I know some bloggers compose in Word and then paste it into WP, but I compose around photos so that approach doesn’t work for me.
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Hi, Joanne – I was just commenting on your recent post while you were commenting on mine. Since I’m all about the ‘conversation’, I LOVE when this happens. Composing around photos is a great idea and works wonderfully on your blog!
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Great question, Donna! And, a perfect in-depth answer from Hugh. Whenever I have extra time (don’t even have much time to blog and read blogs these days), I’ll certainly give it a try.
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Hi, Liesbet – Thanks so much for commenting. Someone needs to bottle and sell “free time.” It would be worth a fortune! 🙂
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Thank you for asking that question, I learned some new things from Hugh and I’ve got to get on practicing with it.
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Hi, Jennifer – Thank you for stopping by. I love learning from other bloggers. That’s how I’ve learned most things that I know about blogging!
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I tried it and quit. Maybe it’s time to try again 🙂
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Hi, Aimer – WordPress has said that they are ending their support of the Classic Editor in 2020. So, we all likely need to move over….eventually! 🙂
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I do like the way it looks, and the block business is easy enough to get used to, but I have no patience when I run into trouble… 🙂
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Hi, Aimer – That sounds fair enough to me!
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Donna – I’m so behind the times I don’t even know what you are talking about? There are different editor options in WordPress? Once my all-consuming projects are over, I’ll have to explore.
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Hi, Janet – I can totally relate. I’m usually the one saying “huh?” WordPress has recently switched to the Gutenberg editor. They are still offering, and supporting, the Classic Editor…until 2020. So, you still have lots of time.
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Thanks to your question Donna, and Hugh’s helpful response I have been pushed into using it and I’m going really well! No major dramas and I’m starting to convert my older posts over too. I have had an issue which I mentioned in a comment to Hugh, and he suggested I talk to the Happiness Engineers. I did that today and it seems the theme I use has a few bugs and so what I was trying to do can’t be done just yet, but they’re now aware and working on a solution. I feel quite pleased with myself and thanks again for asking the question as I was putting it off…
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Hi Debbie, if only other bloggers would take your example and report bugs to WordPress, it would make their blogging experience so much better. Many would have said that the bug you reported was something to do with Gutenberg and probably went on to give it a bad review.
As I already said to you on your blog, your blog posts now standout. I especially like how you have displayed photos on recent blog posts. Well done for taking the leap to Guthenberg and making not only your blogging experience better but those of the visitors to your blog who are now seeing and reading blog posts that stand out from those on other blogs they visit.
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All thanks to you Hugh! and Donna for asking the question. I’m always keen to improve my skills and learn new things.
I’m so glad you can notice the difference in my posts, especially my photos, it’s so good to hear that.
I always have good experiences with the Happiness Engineers and appreciate their help. They will update me once the bug has been investigated which is all I can ask for 🙂
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HI, Hugh – I agree that reporting bugs to WordPress (or to whatever platform we use) if essential for continued growth and positive changes. Thanks to you and Debbie for adding this.
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HI, Debbie – Thank you for adding this detail about your experience. I am glad to hear that you are using Gutenberg and that it is going well. Every user who shares his/her story helps to inform others who are considering the leap!
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I agree Donna and the Happiness Engineers are looking into my theme’s issue as we speak.
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Good luck, Deb. I know how frustrating technical issues in blogging can be. I hope that is all resolved for you soon!
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I tried–I really did!–but couldn’t adapt. I installed a plug-in that puts me back to the classic approach. Really, I don’t need the stuff that comes with Gutenberg. What I need is simplicity.
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Hi, Jacqui – I am glad that Word Press is currently supporting both editors. I am also glad to hear that there is a plugin to offer the editor that is best for each user. Thanks for sharing this.
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Pinning to #mlstl board because I’m scared to attempt fixing something that I don’t feel is broken. However, I know change can be good for me. Someday I will be brave and give it a go 🙂
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Hi, Molly – Thanks for dropping by. My understanding is that you definitely have a bit of time before you will be required by WP to make the change. If you have any questions, WP Happiness Engineers have been very helpful for me.
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I did an update and wound up with Gutenberg. Tried to figure it out for an hour or so, with little luck. Realized I could return to the good ole way of posting and did so promptly. Not in a frame of mind right now to add another puzzle to my life. Going to pin this post in case the fog clears over here and I can think straight again!!
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Hi, Leslie – When we have lots going on, new challenges can definitely wait. And by waiting, hopefully some new updates will make Gutenberg more intuitive!
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