46
Wordpress: Everything about it (dubvee.org)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by ptz@dubvee.org to c/mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world
48 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Got suckered into helping a non-profit with their web presence, and of course, it was a Wordpress site (at least it wasn't a Facebook page).

Everything about WP is mildly infuriating at best, just regular infuriating at worst. Everything. If you know, you know. It's like they tried so hard to make it "easy" to use that it went full circle into a fuster-cluck of unintuitive and clunky everything.

With every facet of the experience being an upsell, is there a tier where it's just not horrible to use?

Specific examples:

  • WYSIWYG editor doesn't match the preview
  • Chasing the scroll point in the outline when moving elements
  • Can't edit block properties after they're added
  • Everything is a damn upsell
    • Want to remove the Wordpress footer? Upgrade to a paid plan (does not specify tier)
    • Okay, I've updated to a paid plan that meets our needs. Please remove the footer please.
    • "Oh, you have to have a plan two tiers up to do that"
  • General clunkyness
  • Only supports Apple map embeds which cannot find any of the addresses I need to enter
    • Cannot embed a Google map properly (doesn't support percentage widths for the iframe element so I can't make it responsive)
  • Changing the column widths on a layout grid block never releases the slider, so you have to mash keys until something else selects that locks it roughly where you want it.
top 48 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 22 points 9 months ago

https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/

Seems like you're referring to Wordpress.com, which is their hosted, an all-in-one solution.

If you self-host WordPress, like the wordpress.org version, you will have a much better time - but you need to be able to maintain and look after everything yourself. I've never had any upset, but some plugins WILL be freemium and will bug you to get the paid version or subscription.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 4 points 9 months ago

Yeah, they already had everything partially setup on Wordpress.com so I was more or less required to take over that. If I was brought into it from the get-go, rather than cleaning up that mess, I'd have spun up a VPS and built a proper static site for them (they're not using it as a blog or any of the interactive features).

[-] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

You could still do that. If it's not a huge site, that effort might be less than digging out of where you are now?

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The information would be easy to move over, but I have no idea how difficult it'll be to transfer the domain away from WP (they registered it with the plan) or if that's even possible. They also already printed the domain on their swag so we're stuck with it.

Probably just going to have to power through, though I may look into moving the domain and moving to a static hosting for long term once their 1 year is up with WP.

[-] zeluko@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago

idk about wordpress, but can imagine you can just get a domain transfer, pay another year with the new provider and then freely use it.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago

Yeah, you'd think. But I'm not expecting it to be straightforward or easy (if it is, then yay). I'm definitely going to look into it.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 3 points 9 months ago

Nah, I doubt it would be hard. Luckily there is a central body governing this and saying what they can, can't, must and mustn't do.

One complication is if they recently bought the domain. I think you need to wait like 90 days or so after a domain purchase or transfer to be able to transfer it.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago

I think you need to wait like 90 days or so after a domain purchase or transfer to be able to transfer it.

They did about a week ago, and that's what I'm assuming is going to be the hangup. I've just not ever messed with domains registered through WordPress, so I'm also unclear if there are any other restrictions or paywalls (everything is an upsell with them). I get mine directly from a registrar and am familiar with transferring those.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago

Yeah, that's probably impossible. I think that's an ICANN rule.

But I would assume that wordpress is a normal registrar, just one that's highly integrated into their other services.

Edit: apparently the limit is 60 days, and a registrar can choose to transfer it anyways but they don't have too. It's an ICANN rule intended to protect the buyer.

Transferring a domain from wordpress seems to be pretty straightforward with no fees. If they are not too expensive you could also just change the nameservers or edit the wordpress DNS if that is possible.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 2 points 9 months ago

Thanks!

I've got more than 60 days before they want to go live, so it's certainly possible.

I hadn't looked into it at all yet (have had other things on my plate today), but my main fear was that the domain was registered to WP and just assigned to their account (e.g. WP "owned" the domain and we wouldn't have standing to transfer it). Again, I have done zero research on that front and was largely assuming WP would make it difficult.

I'll talk to the stakeholders and see what they think. They've already paid for a year of hosting and additionally may want to stick with WP for "reasons" (in which case I'm stuck). They didn't say why they chose it, so I dunno. We'll see I guess. Thanks again.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago

I hope you get your way :)

[-] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Again, if it's not too much work, I would prepare a static site first and then, when it's ready, work on just flipping the domain target to your new server.

I cannot imagine that you cannot change the domain's destination. You can still keep it registered at WordPress, that doesn't matter.

[-] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 13 points 9 months ago

I feel you. This is one of the main reasons I quit doing freelance web design, hate WP with a passion and everyone was using it.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 3 points 9 months ago

Yep. It's for a good cause (the NP does good work) but I am so regretting my decision to help. If they didn't already have the site partially setup and the domain registered with WP, I'd have just offered to throw it on one of my own servers and written something with Tailwind (it's a static site, so they're not using any of the blog or interactive stuff).

[-] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 8 points 9 months ago

It's kind of the perfect storm - supposedly simple enough for the average person to use (they can't), and restrictive enough for the dev that it's like being forced to type with oven mitts on. At least in my experience.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 6 points 9 months ago

like being forced to type with oven mitts on

That's exactly what it feels like. xD

[-] orclev@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

supposedly simple enough for the average person to use

That is in fact the result every time that claim is made about any product. That was the pitch for COBOL, so simple your business analysts can write it, no need for expensive programmers. That was the pitch for business rules engines. That was the pitch for dozens of drag and drop GUI based programming "languages". Lastly that's the pitch for any number of specialized tools that let you "script" them like WordPress.

Not once in the hundreds of times those claims have been made have they ever been true. Every last time the only thing you end up with is a horrible programming language/framework that still requires programmer's but makes the experience of working with it miserable for them.

[-] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 9 months ago

I think the takeaway is wordpress.com is NOT at all the same as wordpress.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 2 points 9 months ago

Some of the complaints are for the platform itself, more are for the .com product, and the rest for the org setting up shop there without much thought.

[-] foggy@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I don't know where to start. I get that you're mad, but you're also just... You clearly dont know what you're doing. And that's okay. But that's like sucking at a videogame and blaming the controller.

WordPress is excellent. It's only downside is that they present large attack surface areas, but that's only because they e made it so easy to hobble together all kinds of plugins to get your site to do anything.

From the sounds of your post, you dont like the theme you're using. Maybe try a different theme. Or maybe you should switch to the classic editor? Idk.

You only have to pay for things you opt not to do yourself. That's it. WordPress is free and open source.

To be blunt: it's a skill issue.

[-] padjakkels@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

What you moaning about? It works like a charm.

[-] SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 3 points 9 months ago

OP can't edit their blocks after adding them. Sounds like a massive skill issue.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago

It is literally the worst CMS I've ever used in my life, and that includes Sharepoint.

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca -2 points 9 months ago

I love SharePoint :)

Keep it simple and it's a wonderful platform. Too many people overcomplicate things and cause themselves their own headaches.

[-] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

The first line - don't say that out loud, or you won't make any friends. The only thing worse is Lotus Notes.

[-] TseseJuer@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

please don't remind me

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 months ago

I make a ton of money using SharePoint, why would I not love it?

[-] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

I'm genuinely happy for you!

[-] asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

You do realize that you can simultaneously make money on something and acknowledge it's a piece of shit at the same time, right?

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 0 points 9 months ago

Except it isn't a piece of shit. It does what it says it does on the box. The fact that people expect it to do far more than that is their fault, not the fault of the product.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I upvoted you for participating in good faith, but I definitely don't agree about Sharepoint. I've made projects succeed despite Sharpeont, never because of it. lol.

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago

I think a lot of that is a lack of knowledge around it's capabilities, it's not as flexible as other systems, but at the same time it's absolutely amazing at doing certain things really fast and easily. I have thousands of people using systems I've built in SharePoint and more than half of them don't even know it's SharePoint. They just pop in, use it, and get out.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago

In all fairness, it may be. In the cases that have been dropped on my plate, it was absolutely not the correct tool for the job. It was just "what we have".

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 months ago

It's frequently the best tool for the job BECAUSE they already have it. If you need another tool, with another login, with more licensing costs, and more training time, and more support, it's often a worse option even if it has more features.

If they're trying to spin up an intranet and share some files within the organization, it's absolutely amazing. If they want a simple database containing active work items for a small team to process, it can do that too. If they want a central place to see who's currently on vacation... SharePoint's got you covered.

If you're trying to use it as a ERP system, it ain't going to work. If they want a full fledged CRM, also a bad idea.

SharePoint can meet at least 80% of the requirements for most office business processes involving files, pages, or single database tables, and it can do it for 20% of the cost/effort of dedicated software. If you want all the bells and whistles, that ain't going to cut it though.

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

What do you recommend?

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

For static sites, just HTML, JS, CSS. I typically use Tailwind and setup a template and host with Nginix on a VPS. For this endeavor, that's all they need.

For blogging, I use Ghost.

[-] ExtraMedicated@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

I fucking hate wordpress. I get assigned a simple task to implement something on some page and find out that the code I need to edit isn't in a Git repo, but instead it's in a basic textbox buried somewhere in a page template. The code is stored in a database instead of version control because the people who built the site don't know any better.

[-] flei@feddit.de 4 points 9 months ago

A good theme does not store any code in the db imho

[-] ExtraMedicated@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Right. But if the theme is selected by someone who doesn't work with code, and who builds the rest of the website with drag'n'drop widgets and unmaintained plugins, you're in for a bad time.

[-] flei@feddit.de 2 points 9 months ago

True Story™

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 0 points 9 months ago

Among other reasons, yes, absolutely. lol

[-] dezmd@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

Wordpress.com sites are trash.

Wordpress as a CMS otherwise is fine.

Yes, you need to use Oxygen Builder, Divi, or Elementor to WYSIWYG effectively.

Yes you need to have daily backups and a security tool like Wordfence or WPMUDev's Defender.

But it works, its easy to build and migrate, it integrates with everything you want it to, and the content creation and management is super simple for an end user to manage. You can also get support for it from everywhere and anywhere at this point.

Reality: Everything sucks and you have to adapt and adjust to bullshit on any and every CMS you work with.

[-] brey1013@lemmy.world -4 points 9 months ago

Improvise, adapt and overcome, OP. WordPress, like any other tool, is only as bad as the person using it. Look at it as an opportunity to learn a new skill.

[-] ieatpillowtags@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

He didn’t say he couldn’t use it, he said it was mildly to normally infuriating. Your comment comes across as patronizing and also misses the point.

I mean honestly why should anyone ask for improvements to anything, when you could just “get good” instead?

[-] brey1013@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

Now you're getting it - stop complaining and just be better.

[-] shiftymccool@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Or, use that time to learn an actual skill...

[-] brey1013@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

Like how to make witty comments on Lemmy.

this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
46 points (85.9% liked)

Mildly Infuriating

35459 readers
491 users here now

Home to all things "Mildly Infuriating" Not infuriating, not enraging. Mildly Infuriating. All posts should reflect that.

I want my day mildly ruined, not completely ruined. Please remember to refrain from reposting old content. If you post a post from reddit it is good practice to include a link and credit the OP. I'm not about stealing content!

It's just good to get something in this website for casual viewing whilst refreshing original content is added overtime.

Rules:

1. Be Respectful

Refrain from using harmful language pertaining to a protected characteristic: e.g. race, gender, sexuality, disability or religion.

Refrain from being argumentative when responding or commenting to posts/replies. Personal attacks are not welcome here.

...

2. No Illegal Content

Content that violates the law. Any post/comment found to be in breach of common law will be removed and given to the authorities if required.

That means: -No promoting violence/threats against any individuals

-No CSA content or Revenge Porn

-No sharing private/personal information (Doxxing)

...

3. No Spam

Posting the same post, no matter the intent is against the rules.

-If you have posted content, please refrain from re-posting said content within this community.

-Do not spam posts with intent to harass, annoy, bully, advertise, scam or harm this community.

-No posting Scams/Advertisements/Phishing Links/IP Grabbers

-No Bots, Bots will be banned from the community.

...

4. No Porn/ExplicitContent

-Do not post explicit content. Lemmy.World is not the instance for NSFW content.

-Do not post Gore or Shock Content.

...

5. No Enciting Harassment,Brigading, Doxxing or Witch Hunts

-Do not Brigade other Communities

-No calls to action against other communities/users within Lemmy or outside of Lemmy.

-No Witch Hunts against users/communities.

-No content that harasses members within or outside of the community.

...

6. NSFW should be behind NSFW tags.

-Content that is NSFW should be behind NSFW tags.

-Content that might be distressing should be kept behind NSFW tags.

...

7. Content should match the theme of this community.

-Content should be Mildly infuriating.

-At this time we permit content that is infuriating until an infuriating community is made available.

...

8. Reposting of Reddit content is permitted, try to credit the OC.

-Please consider crediting the OC when reposting content. A name of the user or a link to the original post is sufficient.

...

...

Also check out:

Partnered Communities:

1.Lemmy Review

2.Lemmy Be Wholesome

3.Lemmy Shitpost

4.No Stupid Questions

5.You Should Know

6.Credible Defense

Reach out to LillianVS for inclusion on the sidebar.

All communities included on the sidebar are to be made in compliance with the instance rules.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
LillianVS@lemmy.world
STRIKINGdebate2@lemmy.world
Tenthrow@lemmy.world