Dan Antion

What works – What doesn’t?

Thursday Doors remains on hiatus, so I thought I’d take advantage of the hole in my schedule to explore the gallery options available in the Block Editor. I have to say, I’m not happy. I spent 30-45 minutes on a chat with a WP Happiness Engineer (HE) on Monday. No happiness was achieved.

I explained that I prefer organizing my pictures in a gallery so that people can see them in a nice mosaic. The people who are interested, can (click) step into the gallery slideshow. However, people looking at the mosaic would like to be able to see the captions (like they can in the Classic Editor galleries). I was asked to share a test post (which some of you saw) to demonstrate that feature. Then I was told that it can’t be done. I can get captions under the photos if I put them inline in the text, but I find those hard to read on a mobile device, as it’s too easy to “click” on the image while trying to scroll.

I reminded the HE that I opened a ticket on this problem in May 2019. I explained that I even worked over a period of a few weeks with the developers on GitHub (a program development repository for system developers). The problems were well known 14 months ago, but there was no agreement on how to solve them. Again, there was no happiness forthcoming. I was told that I could continue to use the classic editor galleries within a “Classic” block in the block editor. I explained that I have done that and that the results have been unpredictable – captions are mixed together on some devices and doubled up on others. The most bizarre suggestion is found in the quote below:

I don’t think there is an option to improve the way using the Block Editor, but have you considered embedding the captions on the image the way you wish locally on your computer using for example Photoshop or any other image editor and uploading the modified images with the embed captions to your site?

WordPress Happiness Engineer

Below are a few sample galleries. If you’re interested, I would appreciate it if you look at them, maybe step into the slide show, and let me know what option works best for you. There’s a poll at the bottom to make it easy (at least I hope there is). Feel free to add anything else in the comments. Thanks in advance.

Note: All the images have been displayed before. All of the images have “Captions” and “Descriptions” set and all common options are set the same way.

The first block is a Tiled Gallery

The next is a Masonry gallery

The next gallery is the basic Gallery option.

  • Good morning!
  • A few double Rose of Sharon are blooming again.
  • “It’s hot and we’re hungry. You got any of those peanuts?”
  • “Why is this trash being stored on my porch?”
  • MuMu moves to the west window in the afternoon. I’m sure she wants to say hi.
  • “I’m heading over to the mound for some warm-up throws.” “OK Jinx. We’ll try to give you some offense today.”
  • It’s hard to tell how big these guys are.

The last gallery is a standard gallery within a Classic block.

A few more courses of siding and then we can start thinking about that roof.
It’s back.
Bunny.
“It’s too hot to play baseball. Besides, you really need a bath.”
We were walking early enough to observe the nearly full moon.
It’s the vitamins in the Special K.

If you have any problems, could you please let me know what device you’re using to view the images. Thanks!

148 comments

  1. Dan, I prefer the standard gallery in the classic block because the captions pop up when running my mouse over the photos. I find that the problem with captions that stay put on an image is that they can sometimes overlap with any watermarks or copyright information – making part of the caption look jumbled.
    I’m viewing this on an iMac.

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    • Thanks Hugh. That seems to be the best available solution. I liked the thoughts behind the new galleries. particularly the plan to separate the captions from the images, so you could change the caption when reusing the image. I don’t know if they ever finished that work, but it’s of little value if you can’t see the captions. The descriptions are actually visible in the slideshow, but you have to scroll down to see them, and most people don’t know/remember to do that.

      If I could add captions under a photo in Lightroom, I would. Then I could export the images as I do now. Adding them in Photoshop wold be a nightmare.

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      • I forgot to mention that I’m using Chrome on my iMac, Dan.

        However, I’ve also now viewed your post (nice theme, by the way) on my iPad (using Safari). Here’s what I found out.

        Tiled Gallery – When I tap a photo, it opens up as a slideshow on my iPad, and I can see all the captions under each photo. I didn’t know this, but there is also the option to leave a comment under each photo.

        Masonry Gallery – When I tap on a photo, it opens up as a slideshow, but no cations anywhere – plus nowhere to leave a comment.

        Basic Gallery option – Captions show on photos. When I click on a photo, it opens up as a slideshow on my iPad, and I can see all the captions under each photo. There’s also a comments box.

        Gallery in the Classic block – if I tap and hold a photo, the caption appears. If I tap a photo without holding it, it opens up as a slideshow on my iPad, and I can see all the captions under each photo. There’s also a comments box.

        I don’t know if this is of any interest, but the like and reblog button were not loading on any of my blog posts yesterday – not only for me but for those viewing my posts. I contacted the Happiness engineers, and it turned out that there was a bug causing the problem which had developed after WordPress released some new Co-Blocks. I don’t know what the Co-Blocks are, but I’ll check them out when I get some time. They fixed it straight away, and the like and reblog button now load on all my posts. However, I don’t know if the fix was just for my blog, or if it fixes the same problem on other blogs experiencing the same issue. I’ve asked them for confirmation.

        I hope that all helps.

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        • Thanks so much, Hugh. From the responses here and from others via Facebook and direct email, it seems like the Classic block will be my best option. I wish I could figure out why it gets scrunched up on certain phones. I like this theme, but it seems to bounce around a lot when I’m viewing comments. I clicked to reply to you, and ended up replying to a person three comments down.

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          • Dan, just a thought, but it could be that it’s scrunched up on some phones because the phone doesn’t have the latest software. I remember being told by one blogger that my blog displayed terribly on her windows laptop. I could not work out why, so I wrote a post and asked my followers if they were having problems viewing my posts. While the results came in, I also requested WordPress to take a look. They said my blog was displaying great (they even sent me some screenshots of what they were seeing), and so did everyone who answered my call for help. It turned out that the blogger who complained had not updated to the latest software on her laptop. Of course the same also goes for software on all devices, plus for the inter browsers we use. If they’re not updated to the latest software, you’re probably going to get problems when viewing content.

            I just checked out your post on my iPhone, and the images display great.

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            • That’s a good though, Hugh. I did ask. One person responded and it appears they are on a very recent version of the OS. WordPress was in a fight with apple, and hasn’t been updating their iOS app. It could be related to that. It’s weird, because it’s the classic gallery or the gallery in the classic block. Otherwise, it seems there are no problems with that option.

              Liked by 1 person

          • I wouldn’t want to be in that fight, Dan. I only use the app to approve comments occasionally, but I note that users can still choose to use the WordPress.Com Classic editor to write posts on the app. I wonder how long it will before WordPress remove that option? I’ve also found out that the WordPress Classic editor plugin is only going to be available until 2022. That may mean that the only option to use the Classic editor by then will be via the Classic block.

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  3. When I use the WP reader to view your post, only the basic gallery works on my Samsung S7. On our laptop though (Aspire 3 windows 10) the standard gallery within a Classic block works too. The others aren’t galleries just show the images one after another.

    If I go to your blog via a browser (Ecosia for my phone and Chrome for our laptop) all work as galleries besides the masonry on my phone. In all cases, the basic gallery option had the subtitles on, but they often covered the whole image so you could not really see the image.

    In ecosia (phone) the subtitles show when I click in on the other galleries. In the reader on my phone they didn’t. The reader on the laptop doesn’t show them either and on Chrome they work when clicking in.

    I have no preference really as it seems to work differently depending on which device I use and if it is the WP reader or not.

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Not a technical wizard at all, but just from a pure reader view, the last 2 versions were the closest to what you have shown us in the past. The first 2 need to vanish to anywhere. I am viewing from my tablet and have never had a problem reading the captions on your photos previously. Good luck and give em hell.

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    • Thanks! I’m hoping to find one solution that I can reliably use. I’d like to stop thinking about the mechanics behind this blog. As I said to the Happiness Engineer, that’s why I pay WordPress.

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  5. I’m using a Mac laptop and couldn’t see any captions of any type except for the gallery in the classic block. But, the most interesting thing was I voted, liked, and tried to comment. I would type a word, and it would take me back to the hot dog photo in the masonry gallery. I’d have to click the ‘X’ to get out, type another word, and it would take me right back there. After about a half a dozen times, I closed the post, went back in and was able to type this. By the way, I really don’t like the masonry option and had to laugh that it was the one I was caught in the loop with.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • I was afraid of that. The last option looks to be the best one for most people, but the worst for you. I may have to try one of their other suggestions, which is to add some custom CSS code to that gallery. I only wish I could recreate the problem on my phone. I will press my daughter into service and see if she can recreate the problem. I don’t want you missing any more bunnies.

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  7. And from reading the other comments? It seems like we’re all going to have different results depending what we use to view it. That said… I am totally dreading this new editor roll out.

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  8. Oh Lord! Oh, Dan! NOOOOOO! I LOVE the classic editor and I do NOT want to change yet WP it seems is not giving us an option. Gosh darn it! Why fix something when it is not broke? I’m hearing nightmare stories from a lot of people and every time I go to create a new post, my heart is in my throat. Don’t we get a say, especially PAYING customers, which I am, having a theme that I had to pay for? All options looked the same to me on my laptop except for the classic look. Just shaking head. I am so sorry this is happening. It’s got to be connected with money in some way, making it cheaper for WP to have this block editor versus classic. That does not set well with me.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Does the classic block work for you, Amy? I’m asking because that seems to be the best option at the moment. I’d go with inline photos, but I get complaints from people viewing on their phone that they touch the image and are taken away from the page. I know that happens to me a lot when I view blogs on my iPhone. I just wish they wouldn’t replace something until they have a solution that works as well.

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  9. Dan, using Win 10 and Chrome. Voted for the Classic gallery. And I had to back out to quit the software to let me type here without jumping back and forth into the Mosaic gallery. I do so enjoy the new quirks. I am a doctor Jim, not a bricklayer ! Poetry probably demands that I say the Classic Editor is dead Jim ! At least before you, I, and a lot of other folks are ready for that to happen. And progress and the new editor features are almost alive. Here let me tighten that bolt on Frank’s neck again. And again. And again. Oh and again. Just be glad they are not in charge of upgrading the sidewalks. You and Maddie might not be able to get home again. Did you bring your ruby slippers ? Happy Thursday Dan. Technology is our friend. Our difficult and troubled friend. Our brain rewired and slightly out of kilter friend. Sometimes our slightly more than slightly out of kilter friend.

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    • ” I am a doctor Jim, not a bricklayer !” I love that line, and that episode, John. Yes, the new version isn’t working, but we’re going to force it into production. Everyone will get used to the pain. Eventually, they will forget the before time, when things worked. “Ye cannae change the laws of physics” – in this case, Entropy is at work. Without the application of outside force (work on the part of WordPress) things move toward a state of maximum disorder.

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  10. So, if it isn’t broken . . . let’s break it and replace it something worse to justify our jobs! Arghhh!! It keeps flashing your pictures while I am typing!!! They are watching!

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  11. All of the options more or less work on my Mac Pro desktop computer (Mojave OS) in Chrome, though I cannot see any captions in the Masonry gallery. I like the Classic Block version that most closely replicates what I am used to seeing, with captions that show when I hover over the images in the gallery. I too had problems posting a comment initially after voting–each keystroke would take me to a random photo.

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    • Thanks for the details, Mike. I guess I won’t be doing many polls. I want to get to a point where I can just write a post and add the photos. I’ll go the route that causes as few problems as possible – nothing seems to be perfect.

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      • The polling system seems to be different from the one that WordPress used in the past. I seem to recall getting instant results of how other folks had voted, which did not happen here. What I think we are seeing is that it is hard to have a system that is compatible across a range of operating systems and types of devices. It is hard enough for text and simple photos and gets much more complicated for things like galleries. I think that is why so many companies have totally separate apps which have different functionalities from their main websites. When I was flying with United a lot, I did everything on a computer and had trouble trying to navigate on the United app on a friend’s phone, which displayed things differently. I think the cross-compatibility issue is one of the reasons you can’t really upload photos to instagram from a Mac (unless you use emulation software to trick the app into thinking your Mac is an iPhone). Apple is eventually moving from Intel processors to its own chips that is supposed to bring the Mac operating system more in line with the operating system used on iPhones and iPads, but there is a ways to go.

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        • The poll included an option to offer a Thank You message. I didn’t realize that that would be instead of the results. So far, there are 16 results. 14 for the Classic block and 2 for the Block Editor standard gallery – the one with the captions on the image.

          I think you’re right. When I was trying to work with the developers, I began to understand how complex this is. The programmers working on the Gallery options did not develop the Carousel (slide show engine). The reason they gave me 14 months ago for mot displaying the captions when hovering over the images is that “they don’t look good when people place images in the grid of circles” – a format I’ve never seen anyone use.

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            • I know. If you think about it, I doubt anyone who wants to put their photos in small circles cares about having captions.

              I spent 42 years developing systems and when we replaced a system, we always made sure the new system worked as well as the old one – before – implementing it.

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  12. I had the same issue as Mike leaving a comment. I had to come back to the reader to comment. I am on an iPad. I like the ‘single photo’ look of the Masonry gallery but there were no captions. If you flip through the galleries quickly, the left-justified captions change positions with each differing photo size. I found that distracting. The galleries that have the captions at the bottom were easier on the eyes, but too far away from the photo. I could read the captions on the basic gallery ok but it would be hard to read on a phone.

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    • Thanks Maggie. The inline photos have always generated complaints from people viewing on a phone. They say that when they try to scroll, they either get taken off the page to the image link or they have to use two fingers to gain more white space around the images.

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  13. So, I can comment, but still not “like” from my desktop. I prefer (and I voted) the last set of images where you hover over the pic to get the caption, less distracting, less busy looking. ;)

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  14. This is weird. Every few words I type and the Masonry Gallery photos pop up. WTH?? I like Block Class–happened again. OMG, Dan. The Masonry Gallery keeps popping up as I type. Block Classic is what I like, and use. I don’t comment on captions so that is a non-entity for me. Oh, this Masonry Gallery keeps popping up mid-type! Grrrr.

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  15. The only one I really don’t like is the first option. I really like the system on Blogger even though my exposure and followers are less. Adding video is much easier there. I have to say that while attempting to write this comment it has popped back to your gallery eight times and I have to keep exiting it. 🤦‍♀️

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    • I am missing Blogger myself, lately, Cheryl. It wasn’t as popular, but it was reliable. This mess is driving me crazy. Thanks so much for working your way through the frustration. I appreciate the comments.

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  17. I like the standard block gallery best, but love the look of the Masonry gallery. That block with captions would suit me, but maybe not most people. 😀 The new block editor came up as my choice the other day and I couldn’t figure out how to input an image into my post! I had to go to my WP Admin page and add the photo to the media library then I was able to edit the post and add the image. Way too confusing and too many steps!! I need to figure out how to get back to the Classic. I couldn’t find that option that’s supposed to be available for a while at least. Composing and posting my Weds. post was stressful. I applaud you for trying to live and work with the new editor.

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    • Thanks for the feedback. The problem with the text over image captions is that sometimes I’m a little wordy. The Happiness Engineers have told me to write less. I just want to get to a place where I only have to think about writing and t as king pictures. This is starting to feel like work.

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        • Titles, captions and Descriptions work differently. Captions display in the Classic editor, but I think Descriptions are displayed in the Block Editor.

          If you leave your title in the IMG_1234.jpg format, it doesn’t show. If you give your photos a custom name, MyPhoto.jpg, that shows where the caption used to and the Description shows below that (but you have to scroll down to see it).

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  18. Dan I’m working and not able to go directly to your blog. I’m using data and on my cell reading from a email.. so my points maybe different from others. So there are no captions on the top to sets of photos. I can’t access them when I touch my screen. The third set starting with your squirrel friend and the double rose of Sharon have easy to read captions. There is no survey attached anywhere I can find…Strange I’ve don’t surveys in emails before??? Your text appears the same and I’m struggling too. I even had a post go live and publish before it was ready to be seen. My last post has a verity of photos in the new block editor, I wonder what it looks like now that you have me thinking about all this. Will check out my blog also. Thanks for the heads up. Jolynn

    Get Outlook for Android

    ________________________________

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  21. I like the classic block. That. was the only one where I could see the captions. Also trying to type this comment put me back to the photos with no predictability. I just figured out certain letters send me to the photos A & D

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  22. The WordPress Happiness Engineer is talking gibberish. I’ve no idea what he said. I’ve little to no interest in anything that makes me life more difficult thus my refusal to use the new blockhead editor until I absolutely have to. I’m more than a little surly about this whole situation with WP. Good luck.

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    • I was more than a little surly with him on Monday. When he suggested that I could probably just “add a little custom CSS,” I responded with “Isn’t that why I’m paying you?” There are some serious issues that they should have addressed before proclaiming this editor ready for prime time.

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  23. Dan you went to so much work for this post. Your photos are a delight, no matter what style of gallery you use. Since you asked, I like to be able to see all or part of the captions (if I want) before I open the gallery. Call it a preview. I don’t know why, I just do. However, blogging should be fun. So I vote that you use the option that is easiest or pleases you best. Hugs on the wing.

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    • Can I ask, are you able to see the captions in the last gallery is you hover the mouse over the images in the mosaic? It doesn’t work on a mobile device, but it does on a laptop. So far, that’s the option that’s showing the best results. I don’t care, one way or another, but I want to get (back) to a point where I don’t have to care about the technology – it’s too much like the job I retired from. Thanks for your input, Teagan.

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      • Sorry to be so slow getting this. Internet still mostly down after 10AM. Answer: Yes — mostly. I’m almost always read on my laptop. The captions show if I hover over them — BUT on the smaller photos, or with longer captions, I do not see the entire caption, unless I click and open the gallery. That’s what I meant by getting a preview. The other one shows me the entire caption.
        On gallery #3, it shows the entire caption, without opening the gallery. On some photos the caption overlays a lot of the photo, but that does not interfere with my enjoyment.
        Cheers.

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        • Thanks Teagan. I really appreciate your getting back to me. I’m not fond of the overlaid captions, since some of my captions can be lengthy, but it’s good to hear they don’t detract. At least now I feel like I have some good options.

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  24. It sounds like the Happiness Engineer needs a nap. Oh, yes, I will take all of my photos into Photoshop (at $9.99/month) just to add captions… that sounds like an excellent idea. (Maybe I’m the one who needs the nap.)

    Here is my experience on my Windows desktop:

    Tiled: Didn’t see captions in the mosaic, but did see them in the gallery.
    Masonry: Didn’t see captions in the mosaic, and didn’t see them in the gallery.
    Basic: Saw captions in the mosaic, and in the gallery.
    Standard: Saw captions in the mosaic, and in the gallery.

    I like Standard best. I like how the captions pop up in the mosaic and I like how they are centered under the image in gallery (the other captions I could see in gallery were off to the left and could easily be missed).

    Good luck!

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    • There are tins of bunnies around here this year, but given the drought conditions, there’s very little for them to eat. When they find a place to nibble, they want to stay. We usually cross the street, or give them a wide berth. Thanks!

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  26. Thanks Janis. I had a similar reaction to the Photoshop suggestion. I think it’s hard for them to understand that we aren’t here because we like playing with technology. It’s a tool that we expect to work when we use it. I appreciate your input, very much.

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  27. Dan, I’m on my laptop with Windows 10 (or whatever the latest is) and using Firefox. The first one allowed me to see captions on the bottom off to the left side and like, etc. if I want when in the gallery. The second didn’t show captions at all. Either the third or the fourth work for me. When I looked via the Reader, everything was elongated and I didn’t stay long enough to decided anything but that I’d always come to the blog instead. :-) I noticed with the Block Editor that if I put a caption under the photo, it wouldn’t center but was always over to the left. Frustrating, so if I want to have something, I just put it above the photo.

    janet

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  28. I’m still struggling with the Block Editor. What you’ve been able to accomplish with your photos is amazing. I guess I just need to practice. I love the second option that had shadows of the pics in the background.

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  29. I like the basic gallery option. The photos are the same size and the text is easy to read. The images are clear. I use an iPad and a MacBook, the iPad is very old and the MacBook is new, yet the images are the same on both devices.

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  31. Hi Dan – I concur with the others … ‘The last gallery is a standard gallery within a Classic block.’ hope that’s the easiest – though interestingly some of your photos keep popping up as I type this … that’s very frustrating – after only a few seconds too – very frustrating … I’m off before I have to close too many more down -yugh!! … Hilary

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  32. Obviously the Block Gallery within the Classic is best. The one where it shows the blur of the photo behind is nice, but no captions. I’m on a Chrome book and your photos keeping popping up while I type and I don’t want to type anymore. Ta!

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  36. As always I learn a lot from your trouble-shooting with WordPress. And this is why I get so behind on reading blogs—there are too many issues using the iphone compared to the laptop. Thanks for your efforts!

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  37. My hand is sore from scrolling down to make a comment! Yikes, you hit on the pain many bloggers are feeling. I haven’t bothered to click the update yet, precisely due to the photos. I’m using Windows 10 and Chrome and I could see all the photos, the 2nd option didn’t show any captions when I clicked on them to view the slideshow. I’m frankly scared that once I do (if I do) update, my old posts won’t work. PS – love the new look of your blog – very clean and simple.

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  38. As if there aren’t enough comments here, I’ll add one more. I am not looking forward to being forced toward the block editor, but I’ll make it work. Probably stay away from galleries as much as possible. I’m just not a fan of updates like this that frustrate users. What’s the purpose?

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  39. I hate it when so-called upgrades change or remove features that I used and enjoyed. I’ll never understand that. They already had working code; why amend it? Add to it if you want, but don’t change it. So frustrating.

    You put a lot more time and patience into the problem than I would have. Sorry no happiness was achieved.

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    • I developed systems for 42 years, and I can’t remember ever taking away a feature people liked and used on a regular basis. It really doesn’t make any sense. At least, for now, they are leaving the Classic Block as an option. It’s not perfect, but it works for galleries.

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