AT WIT’S END
I don’t know how you spell FRUSTRATION, but I spell it W-O-R-D-P-R-E-S-S. To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
How do I detest thee? Let me count the ways….
But counting the ways would take time I don’t have, thanks to all the time-consuming problems I do have with WordPress (especially recently). Suffice it to say that if there’s no improvement when the new WordPress Block Editor kicks in June 1, I’ll be considering my options — ranging from giving up blogging completely, to seeking another venue more user-friendly to a tech-tyro like me.
In other words….
As the God of WordPress is my wit-ness, I ask you….
The Observation Post 
obbverse 1:01 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Sounds like WP is really really really pissing you off… I know if my spouse didn’t fix my faux pas on my site I’d boot it all down the road in frustration. The WP issue I had seemed to be random- one day I could like, one day I could comment, the next, nada. Then, voila! All good-ish. I am supremely limited in trouble-shooting. Hope the new edit. works, because if it becomes unenjoyable…
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calmkate 6:16 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
can’t post comments now so communicating with MrM this way … videos came back on but there is now no avenue to post comments and ours aren’t linked ;(
Do you think POTUS disciples are targeting you? Have you contacted WP directly with your issues … I did and took another 3-4 days before they resolved it! Good luck ❤
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calmkate 6:17 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink
PS nearly forgot this link, great video on how to use new editor block ..helped me heaps!
https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/108067070/posts/21702
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mistermuse 11:25 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink
Thank you, Kate. Computerese is almost like a foreign language to me. When complications arise beyond what I’m familiar with (writing my blog and commenting), I’m lost because I don’t understand the relevant terminology and concepts. That’s why, in all likelihood after June 1, I’m going to have to rely on my out-of-town daughter for hands-on help the next time she visits.
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calmkate 6:37 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
that link to the youtube video will help heaps if you can open it … Bella has a sweet clear english voice and her demonstration of using the new block editor is so much easier for luddites like me … please keep persisting!
We need you and you need an outlet for your creativity ❤
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mistermuse 9:48 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Thanks, Obbverse. My wife is much more tech savvy in general than I, but she doesn’t blog and has no clue what to do about my WP issues. My oldest daughter, who lives out of town, may be able to help the next time she visits. I’ll probably just sit tight until then, if there’s no improvement on June 1,
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pendantry 2:37 am on June 1, 2020 Permalink
Good morning to you, mistermuse
I come to you bearing good news!
Classic editor is what you seek?
It’s still there: here, take a peek!
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mistermuse 7:14 am on June 1, 2020 Permalink
Thank you, pendantry, for your poetic reply.
I see no change whatever — I don’t know why.
Same format, same problems — not “good news” at all…
But at least I’m still here, though it wasn’t my call.
For now, my good man, I’ll muddle on as best I can
’til my daughter updates my Windows, or the shit hits the fan.
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blindzanygirl 1:16 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I am sad. So many people have said goodbye lately. I am having problems too. Please let us know if you go to another venue. The number of times you have lifted me out of a black pit with youur comments snd your somgs is inestimable., i loved your input. But I understsnd. It is even worse trying to deal with WordPress if you are blind. It’s shit! Much love to you midyer,use snd thankyou. ❤️
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mistermuse 11:43 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
This may sound corny, Lorraine, but it warms my heart to know there are times when “I have lifted you out of a black pit.” The fact that I have helped you encourages me to want to keep doin’ what I’m doin’….I just wish that my brain was better equipped with the ‘tools’ needed to deal with the technology side of this “shit,” as you so aptly and eloquently put it.
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calmkate 5:52 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
oh please don’t leave me … your satrical humour and jazz finds add sun to my day! I am guessing that you added videos to this post but I’m looking at two large white outs … no pics or videos to be found … issue is my end no doubt 😦
WP seems to go thru glitches … I had a real issue for nearly 3 months, had to blog far less as anything took more than an hour! I nearly gave up but due to support by my followers I hung in there and one day issue just vanished!
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mistermuse 11:52 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Fingers crossed, Kate, that these issues just vanish on June 1. Otherwise, I may have to write President Trump to issue an executive order and make blogging great again.
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Rosaliene Bacchus 4:36 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
LOL
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calmkate 6:41 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
well he does bully everybody else so I’d rather like to watch it reciprocated, couldn’t happen to a better idiot … are you softening, that’s the kindest thing I’ve heard you call him 🙂
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mistermuse 10:53 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
Kate, if you think I’ve been unkind to Trump, scroll down to arekhill1’s comment below and click on his blog for some posts which put my Trump put-downs to shame. 😉
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Carmen 6:09 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
C’mon mistermuse – stick with it! How long have you been married? 😉
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mistermuse 12:00 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Would that it were that simple, Carmen. At least in marriage, I can kick my wife in the fanny if she gets out of line, and receive an immediate and proper response. Then, after I’ve recovered, things are back to normal.
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masercot 7:07 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Ah, Fallout! A game I gave three months of my life to…
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mistermuse 12:09 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I suppose “All’s well that ends well” (IF it ends well….time will tell).
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GP Cox 7:33 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I have never understood why – when something works, they insist on fixing it!!!!
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mistermuse 12:19 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
WordPress did work for years, GP — at least, well enough not to frustrate me as it has increasingly done lately. Whether recent problems have anything to do with the process of switching over to the new WordPress Block Editor is beyond me.
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Rivergirl 7:46 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I read that we’ll be able to switch back to classic editor as soon as they roll out this new abomination… which I will do immediately. But it seems you have a lot of issues with that as well. I have no answer, just a plea not to leave.
❣️
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mistermuse 12:27 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Very much appreciated, Rg. It may take a while, but I’m hopeful of a satisfactory resolution which will enable me to keep doin’ what I’m doin’. Closing up shop is the last thing I want to do.
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josephurban 8:00 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
WordPress is following a well known principle of American business. If something is working properly CHANGE IT. As soon as a customer learns to use a system, CHANGE IT. If something is simple and uncomplicated, CHANGE IT. Why? Because otherwise how do I justify my job ? How do I justify just producing reasonably good product? Everything needs to be NEW and IMPROVED. Otherwise how do I, as a CEO, justify the salary I am given? I saw the same thing over and over and over in the field of education. If something works…CHANGE IT.
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Carmen 8:06 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I think you are onto something, Joseph. Right now, I can’t access my cell phone account because of increased security protections (I can’t even get into my own account with the password I’ve used for years) . . .so I’m sending them monthly payments in an amount that I know is higher than the bill; hopefully when they have to start sending me credits they’ll help me. 🙂 (smh)
Hopefully mistermuse will return June 1st with a WordPress arsekicking story. ..
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mistermuse 12:37 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
You got that right, Joseph. I think it’s akin to something they used to call “planned obsolescence.” “Change for the sake of change” is hardly an improvement.
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magickmermaid 10:58 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Don’t leave!!! Everyone will miss you!!! I was cursing the new system yesterday as I was giving one of my pages a makeover. It was like a video game gone awry and I don’t play video games. However, I refuse to be bested by technology/machines. After I calmed down a bit, I found my own way to make it work for me. Disclaimer: my own way may not be the proper way but I got it to work. 🙂
The customer service reps at WordPress are very good. They helped me out a when I have contacted them in the past. So don’t give up!
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mistermuse 12:50 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Thanks, mm. My problem is that I don’t understand the terminology, so no matter how good the customer service reps may be, I can’t do what they tell me if I don’t ‘get’ it. I’m sure my daughter would understand, so perhaps I can enlist her to contact the WordPress reps when she comes. Can you give me the customer service dept. phone #, email address, or whatever way you use to contact them?
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magickmermaid 1:34 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
Drat! I was writing down the way I contacted them before and that seems to have disappeared with the new format. It was always by email–no phone support
I found this link: https://wordpress.org/support/
Each link on that page has specific info and a troubleshooting link. There is so much information and it can be daunting. When it comes to terminology, a lot of that is counter-intuitive and makes no sense so try not to get bogged down with that.
Tell me exactly which thing you are having trouble with and maybe I will know which link to direct you to.
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mistermuse 8:22 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink
I’m having trouble with a number of things, mm, but two of the most bothersome have to do with ‘Like’ (or should I say, the absence of ‘Like’). First, no matter if it’s my posts or the posts of other bloggers, all I see is ‘Loading’ immediately below the posts where you would click ‘Like’ if you like the post. Second, on some (but not all) bloggers’ posts, when I try to Like a comment, it won’t ‘take’ and I have to type ‘Like’ in a comment and then go through the ‘verify that’s it’s me’ process to verify that’s it’s me making the ‘Like’ comment (and sometimes even that doesn’t go through).
Frustrating!
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tubularsock 11:45 am on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Funny that. Tubularsock hasn’t had many issues with WordPress perhaps because Tubularsock does all of his editing work on a stone tablet before sending it off.
Sure it’s dusty and there are the issue of stone chunks getting trapped under some of the keys but let Tubularsock tell you that the shipping cost is wayyyyyyy cheaper!
Good luck with all this.
Oh. Whisky helps, double shot, neat.
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mistermuse 12:55 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Thanks, ts. I’m a beer man myself, so I’ll probably need at least a six pack. 😉
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arekhill1 1:45 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
I’m so frustrated with Weebly I was thinking of switching to WordPress. Maybe not. I don’t plan on giving up blogging, but am really looking forward to Trump getting kicked out onto the street so I can return to topics more whimsical in the aftermath.
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mistermuse 8:32 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Likewise with not wanting to give up blogging — that would be a last (hopefully avoidable) resort. As for Trump, it’s not enough for me to see him kicked out unto the street. If there’s any justice in this world, he’ll be kicked out of office into prison where he belongs (and where anyone else would go for committing half the illegal acts he has committed).
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Don Ostertag 1:48 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Why? Why? Why? Just because somebody wants to show off his/her knowledge and figures we should do something different. We haven’t got enough on our plate what with the Virus, our ‘leadership’, here in MN we have fires and looting and cop- murderers.
I’m 81 years old and there isn’t a day goes by I don’t learn something new. And I am sick of it.
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mistermuse 8:44 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Don, I’m about your age, and the longer I live, the more see that the human race as a whole is beyond saving (in a humane and empathetic sense), and always will be. There is only hope for individuals, and that is why we must be the best models we can be for those in our immediate lives and those who come after us.
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Rosaliene Bacchus 4:46 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Understand well your frustration. Sigh. I found “A First Guide to the Blocks Editor” on another blog and hope that I do better this weekend. Here’s the link to Part Two of Sue’s Guide, that I’ve just printed out. You’ll find the link to Part One at the end of her post.
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mistermuse 10:35 pm on May 29, 2020 Permalink |
Thank you very much, Rosaliene. At first glance, this looks beyond me. I’ll need to consult with my tech-savvy daughter the next time she visits, in order to see where I go from here. Thanks again.
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magickmermaid 11:24 am on May 30, 2020 Permalink |
I couldn’t reply above so I’m going to ask some basic questions.
1-Have you updated your browser recently? It’s always best to keep your browser updated because tech changes at warp speed. If it isn’t this can sometimes affect how websites work for you.
2-Do you clear your cache every day? I clear mine a few times every day because there is so much info in the cache on a daily basis it can sometimes interfere with what the browser can do.
3-If you are using the Windows operating system (I don’t know anything about the others) is it updated? Have any new updates been installed recently? Sometimes with Windows updates I have to reset certain functions.
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mistermuse 12:20 pm on May 30, 2020 Permalink |
Thanks, mm. I appreciate the tips.
Regarding numbers 1 and 3, my browser is Internet Explorer and, as I understand it, Windows is part of Internet Explorer. They have not been updated recently and neither my wife nor I know how, but my out-of-town daughter does, so I’ll ask her to do it on her next visit here.
As for #2 (clearing my cache everyday), I am way behind on doing that, so I will have to take time to clear it and see if that helps.
Thank you again.
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magickmermaid 6:36 pm on May 30, 2020 Permalink
I may be wrong, but I don’t think Internet Explorer can be used successfully any more as MIcrosoft updated their browser to Microsoft Edge when they launched Windows 10. So that may be the cause of some of the problems. Once browsers and operating systems are no longer supported, things don’t work as they used to. Have you upgraded to Windows 10?
(A lot of people were reluctant to upgrade to Windows 10 and stuck to Windows 7. I’m not sure why. When I bought my new computer it came with Windows 7. A year later Windows 10 was introduced and I upgraded on the spot because it was free. After 2 or 3 days I forgot what Windows 7 was all about LOL)
I use Firefox for my browser and it works great. It has automated updates (if you choose that option) and it is very user-friendly so ask your daughter about that. Chrome is also good but Firefox is faster in my opinion.
Clearing the cache only takes a minute so definitely do that every day. 🙂
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mistermuse 9:29 pm on May 30, 2020 Permalink
You may have hit on the main problem, mm, as I’m still on Windows 7. I’ve cleared most of my cache (I hadn’t cleared it for several months), and there has been no improvement, so I’ll ask my daughter to upgrade me to Windows 10 as a Father’s Day present (unless the new Windows Block Editor miraculously solves everything on June 1). I’m reluctant to try Firefox because my wife uses it, says it’s too slow, and isn’t happy with it.
Stay tuned! 😉
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Elizabeth 12:45 pm on May 30, 2020 Permalink |
Let’s hope we all get through this. Do you think they were counting on us being eager to learn something new while quarantined? If so they misread their clientele completely.
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annieasksyou 12:09 am on May 31, 2020 Permalink |
I am reading all this as a welcome diversion because our country is currently on fire. But I want to add my two bits (no bytes—I’m non-violent) to those who say please stay—together we’ll find a way.
I have had oodles of WP issues and not received much help lately, though I have in the past. I am terrified what I will find on June 1. I
watch those little videos and can’t tell what the hell they’re showing me. Tomorrow I shall try again. My out-of-town daughters were the ones who thought blogging would be a neat idea for me; they were right, but I can’t turn to them for my daily fiascos.
But I do believe we’ll muddle through; I really, truly do.
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mistermuse 12:45 pm on May 31, 2020 Permalink |
Much appreciated, Annie. I do very much want to “muddle through” (hard as that may be due to my EXTREMELY limited tech skills). Like you, I have an out-or-town daughter who can’t help with my “daily fiascos,” but whom I will need to at least help me function here without losing my sanity (such as I have left). But at least I’m still sane enough to have a sense of perspective, like this guy:
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Carol A. Hand 12:45 am on June 2, 2020 Permalink |
Ah, now I understand your comment, “Like,” on my most recent post, Mister Muse! Thank you!
I so hope you decide to continue blogging!
Just to add a little more complexity to the well-informed advice you have already received, WP happiness engineers weren’t able to help me when my blog wasn’t working properly a while ago. After trying to follow their complicated suggestions, I seriously contemplated just giving up. On a whim, I decided experiment to see if updating my “theme” would make a difference. Lo and behold, it worked… The features that weren’t working (likes and comments) miraculously were working again!
Sending my best wishes!
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mistermuse 7:05 am on June 2, 2020 Permalink |
Your comment (and time) are very much appreciated, Carol.
I, too, have experienced the “complicated suggestions” of the WP happiness engineers and almost given up because their jargon is way beyond my extremely limited tech skills (they might as well be speaking a foreign language). Your “experiment” sounds intriguing and worth trying, but I’m not sure what you mean by “updating my theme.” If you have time, could you explain so that I too might try to get my “features that aren’t working” working again?
Thank you for the good wishes — my best to you as well.
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Carol A. Hand 11:01 am on June 2, 2020 Permalink
I will try my best to explain this as one non-techie to another. You can delete this long comment when you’re done seeing if it helps. 🙂
1. I enter WP via email informing me about a new comment or my new post – the easiest way for me to get there.
2. In the upper left corner of the screen, I see the WP icon and words “My Sites”
3. I click on the icon and a drop down list appears. I click on the last item on the list, “WP Admin.”
4. In WP Admin, a new list appears. About halfway down is “Appearance”
5. I hover over “Appearance” and another list appears. The first item is “Themes” and I click on it.
6. I find myself on a page (actually pages) of choices with so many possible options. I want something free and something newer than the theme I’ve been using for years.
7. By hovering over each possible choice, several options appear: “theme details,” “activate,” and “preview.”
8. I want to know more about the features first, so I check out the details. If it sounds like a possibility, I can chose to “preview” it.
9. My most recent post appears in this new theme. I can keep exploring new themes until I find something that works, and click “activate.”
10. Once I do, I have a lot more customizing options to choose from before hitting the save button. 11. I can always go back to make changes via the “WP Admin” screen. It’s easier for me to use than the newer options. It’s also how I still create new posts, using the “quick post” option on the “home” screen and edit using the drop down menu choice “posts.”
I hope this makes sense and helps! You can always email me at carolahand@gmail.com.
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mistermuse 11:35 pm on June 2, 2020 Permalink |
Thank you so much, Carol. I hope I haven’t put you to too much trouble.
It’s getting rather late tonight, so I’ll ‘tackle’ your instructions in the next day or two when I have more time…and if all else fails, my techie daughter is coming on Father’s Day and assures me that she can fix my issues. One way or the other, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel at last!
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mistermuse 2:54 pm on June 5, 2020 Permalink |
Carol, as you may have noticed in my June 4 post (A CONSOLATION OF STARS), one of my comments announced a “miracle” — the sudden restoration yesterday afternoon of “Like” from “Loading” and apparent return to normalcy of at least some of my other issues. I suspect this was due to changing to one of the different themes I tried on June 3 (if so, it was a ‘delayed reaction’), but in any case, you went “above and beyond the call of duty” by taking time to explain themes to me, and it apparently paid off.
From now on, I shall think of you as St. Carol Hand rather than Dr. Carol Hand! 😉
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Sara 10:55 pm on June 14, 2020 Permalink |
nice article
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America On Coffee 3:57 am on June 18, 2020 Permalink |
Great videos!👍
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Silver Screenings 3:03 pm on July 5, 2020 Permalink |
Ah, Dean Martin! Thanks for posting this – it’s my fave Dean Martin song. I’ll be singing it all day, thanks to you. 🙂
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mistermuse 5:15 pm on July 5, 2020 Permalink |
You’re welcome, SS.
Sorry that I now need to APPROVE your (and all) comments before they’re posted, but a recent vulgar comment made me decide to do so (after 10+ years of publishing this blog). “Ain’t that a kick in the head?” 😉
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Silver Screenings 6:40 pm on July 5, 2020 Permalink
No worries! I completely understand.
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