Last week, WordPress released version 4.9.8 to the general public. If you subscribe to one of our care plans, the update has been tested and applied for you. But this release is different, there's a BIG change coming to WordPress that all of you need to know about.
Gutenberg, the new WordPress content editor is set to be released as the default WordPress editor in version 5.0. That's coming right around the corner. When you log into the dashboard of the 4.9.8 release for the first time, you'll see a prominent banner at the top of the page introducing you to Gutenberg that asks you to choose to install Gutenberg or the Classic Editor. The Classic Editor is the one we use now and are accustomed to.
Gutenberg is a very different kind of editor. Some people love it (I do), and some hate it. Gutenberg introduces the concept of content blocks, affectionately called Guten-blocks. The WordPress developers say this about blocks:
Blocks are the unifying evolution of what is now covered, in different ways, by shortcodes, embeds, widgets, post formats, custom post types, theme options, meta-boxes, and other formatting elements. They embrace the breadth of functionality WordPress is capable of, with the clarity of a consistent user experience.
WordPress Development Team, Gutenberg Git. Retrieved August 5, 2018
As we say all the time, content is king. Relevant content marketing is one of the primary methods encouraged to drive traffic, and ultimately, new customers, to your online business. Like it or not, Gutenberg is here to stay. While the Classic Editor will remain available in WordPress for a little longer, at sometime in the future it will be removed. It's time to learn how to use Gutenberg.
To make the transition easier, WordPress has released a Gutenberg training page. Try Gutenberg today at https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/.
