I’ve been wondering about the decision to add Gutenberg to WordPress Core. At first I thought it was just to keep up with other website builders, but that didn’t make sense because WordPress is already so widely used.
It eventually occurred to me that the real aim might be to make WordPress.com more competitive against platforms like Wix. By developing their own page builder, Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, can maintain full control and avoid revenue sharing.
This focus on Gutenberg has shifted attention away from other important updates like enhanced multilingual support, better media handling, and improved admin interfaces.
What are your thoughts? Do you believe Gutenberg’s inclusion is more about meeting WordPress.com’s business needs rather than advancing overall functionality for self-hosted WordPress?
As someone who’s been using WordPress for years, I can say Gutenberg’s integration is a game-changer. It’s not just about competing with other platforms; it’s about evolving WordPress itself. I remember the days of clunky shortcodes and endless plugin conflicts just to get a decent layout. Gutenberg addresses that pain point head-on.
From my experience, it’s opened up new possibilities for clients who aren’t tech-savvy. They can now create complex layouts without calling me for every little change. Sure, there’s a learning curve, and it’s not perfect yet, but the potential is huge.
I do agree that other core improvements have taken a backseat, which is frustrating. But in the long run, I believe Gutenberg will allow for more rapid development of those features. It’s laying a new foundation that could make WordPress even more versatile and user-friendly in the future.
gutenberg isn’t just for wp.com, it’s about modernizing wordpress as a whole. self-hosted sites benefit too. it gives users more control over layout without needing plugins or custom code. sure, it helps wp.com compete, but the open source community gains too. change is always tough at first tho.
The integration of Gutenberg into WordPress Core goes beyond just competing with other platforms. It’s a strategic move to future-proof WordPress in an evolving digital landscape. By providing a more intuitive content creation experience, WordPress aims to attract and retain users who might otherwise be drawn to simpler drag-and-drop builders. While it may benefit WordPress.com, the open-source community also gains a powerful tool for creating dynamic layouts without relying on third-party page builders. This shift allows developers to focus on creating more specialized plugins and themes, potentially leading to a more robust ecosystem. However, the transition has been challenging for many users, and there’s still work to be done in balancing new features with the needs of long-time WordPress users.