Tag Archives: block

WordPress Editor Has Been Broken

You’ll often hear the phrase “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?”. In the case of WordPress, this definitely seems to be relevant. I have been using WordPress since the blog started and with good reason. It is a simple and straightforward editing tool that allows new posts to be created easily and quickly. I prepare the images in Lightroom and export them directly to the blog and text is generally – including this – created in Word and then pasted into the blog editor.

WordPress rolled out a new editor form with blocks for elements of each post. I don’t doubt that the intent of this was to create a more flexible editing environment and one that probably achieves things that previously required plugins. However, the result does not seem to have been very well tested or not be a wide enough group of users with differing requirements. Here are some of the shortcomings I have experienced.

The biggest issue is speed. The new format is unbelievably sluggish. When I am making edits, sections of the page seem to be really slow and when it decides to auto save the latest work, it seems to be stuck doing so forever. Then, there are some familiar sections now in new formats at the side. Collections is still there but clicking on it seems to require tons of time to think about stuff before it shows up – if it does!

Collections might be slow but tagging is now horrible. I create my tags in Word and paste them into the field but this no longer can be relied on to work. Sometimes they just vanish. Other times they disappear and then reappear. I can write some in to the box directly and then they vanish in front of my eyes. I often ignore this section and add the tags later in the Quick Edit view of the post lists.

Adding media is no longer so simple, While the new blocks for images and galleries have some nice elements they are slow to create. Now you have to select the source each time rather than defaulting to the media gallery. This extra click each time gets annoying fast. Also, in the old editor, if you scrolled down the media page to get to the shots you wanted, adding another image would bring you back to the same spot so you didn’t have to scroll again. That is gone. Media is added as a new block. There is no obvious way to add a block at the bottom of your post. Instead you add one and see where it shows up and then move it down as required. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the page there is a Sharing box which seems to do little other than get in the way.

Even editing the publishing date is a pain. They have moved that around a bit in keeping with the other changes but now, when you tab between fields, your cursor is at the end o the current data. Previously, tabbing would move you to the next box and select it. This facilitated rapid changes to the entries. Now you have to manually delete each entry and then type a new one. One more step for each entry which is not a big deal initially but soon becomes a nuisance.

The legacy editor is still available. However, it isn’t hard to imagine that, over time, this will become obsolete and won’t provide functionality until it is deleted so I am working with the new format to see what I can do to get to grips with it. However, it is testing my patience. It has significantly slowed down my process and made post creation more difficult than it used to be. I have got the hang of bits of it but getting used to something does not make it useful. Pull your finger out WordPress and sort this out. There are so many users of the system, it is important that it works or they will soon migrate to another platform.

Wolf Point Development

Wolf Point sits at the place in the Chicago River where it splits into the north and south branches.  When I lived in Chicago, it was a park.  It sat in front of the a building with a Holiday Inn and the Sun Times located within.  It had a great view along the river in all directions.  That view was obviously too valuable.  The park is gone a some towers are now going up.  One was already there when I visited and work is underway on the others.  I’m afraid this is a shame to have lost a nice location.  Also, if you were in the building across the river that had a view along the main branch, I imagine you are not too pleased to have lost your view and instead be looking at another tower!

Lenskirt Review

Living in a high rise in the city, I have a lot of chances to shoot things that I can only see through the windows.  This has been a tricky thing to deal with over time and I have come up with various solutions with varying success.  A couple of times I have thought about making something myself to be the solution but have never got around to it.

Now someone has made something that pretty much does what I want.  It is called the Lenskirt.  It is a black squared funnel that has a fabric sock at the base which cinches around the barrel of your lens.  I has four suckers at the four corners that will attach it to glass.  The idea is that it blocks any light coming in from the side and reflecting off the glass and back into the lens.

I love this idea.  However, the $49 price seemed a little steep for what it is.  However, i did buy one and it has just arrived.  Overall, I am quite pleased with it.  My suspicions about it being a bit overpriced seem valid but it does do what I want.  Moreover, it handles my widest lens (the 17mm) without any problem.  It allows flexibility of placement so you can shoot at an angle without seeing the skirt.  Therefore, while it is a bit pricey, the alternative is something I have never bothered to do so it is probably worth it to me.

This could have other applications other than shooting through normal windows.  It might be useful in an aircraft when you can’t open a window to shoot out as well.  I am never a fan of shooting through something since the surface is often of poor quality but sometimes you have no choice.

Could it be improved?  Yes.  I would have made the rim stitched to sit flat to a surface when attached rather than having to bend out.  Also, I might consider a slightly more rectangular shape given the format of shooting (although that would impact on the ability to fold it flat).  It is slightly wider than deeper but given the need to look sideways sometimes, a little more width might be good.  (The shot above makes it look a lot wider than it really is by the way!)  I might also have gone for a less reflective black material  just in case.  As I try it more, we shall see if other issues come up.  However, so far, a welcome addition to my bag.