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riverianepondsims · 3 months

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SimPrint | Newspapers, payphones, and extras for TS3!

The SimTimes finally found room in their budget for color printing of their newspapers! The bad news is, no one reads them anymore. Maybe they'll start now? In other news, The SimNation Telecom Company has been required by law to reactivate disconnected payphones to promote accessiblity to phone connectivity for all. Here's a quarter - go tell someone who might care! Important info and download 💾 under the cut:

This is an assortment of items that I worked on in 2022 and 2023. Most of this is comprised of different newspaper default replacement sets, the textures of which I converted from a few different creators. Additionally, you will find a few different things here... STC Payphone - Network Connected Original creator: Grande Lama I made this phone fully functional, and added geostates for when the phone is in use and when the handset is back on the hook. I also made this phone available in the in-game world editor, and it's flagged for use in CAW as well, so you can place it in your CAW metadata and use in worlds. It does function off-lot (as photographed!)

Crosley Simlish Serenity Payphone Original creator: ArwenKaboom (for The Sims 4 @TSR) I converted this phone and made it fully functional, and like the abovementioned phone, added geostates. I also added Simlish textures for all of the details and writing on the phone. I included the English ones too for those who might prefer them.

Functional Newspaper Stands and Dispensers Original creators: ATS3, phoebejay, alienpod, Episims, VeganKaktus, Budgie I figured I'd add the textures for the various newspapers to newspaper stands and dispensers that alienpod converted and added their textures to. They require the actual script from PhoebeJay to work. Without it, they will be decorative items. They can also be placed off-lot in the in-game world editor or in CAW. PhoebeJay's mod Simlish Bus Texture Override Original creators: FreshPrince, Lyralei As someone who probably spent half of their uni years on public transit, I was so excited for Lyralei's Bus Manager mod and was happy to test it out while testing my tennis mod. At some point I did a quick Simlish recolor override for the signs, license plates, and side-wraps, and I figured I'd share it now with this set! Lyralei Bus Manager Mod I also threw in a few deco book objects I converted from TS2 quite a while ago that I enjoy using in my lots! The newspaper default replacement texture varieties come from the following TS2 creators: Alienpod: Newspaper Defaults Epi's Sims: Newspaper Default Replacements VeganKaktus: Newspaper Default Replacement

I included replacement textures for both the reading version and the folded up versions of the newspapers. Please note that, like with my tennis default replacements, you can only have one active newspaper default replacement in your game at once. Each default includes both the reading and matching folded version. The variety is there in case you would want to switch it up between different saves and/or worlds! Making these made me so nostalgic for the early 2000s...walking to the store with a payphone outside to make an important call and getting a coke ICEE for the journey to visit grandma who has a Crosley phone in her kitchen...our sims deserve that.

Previews, additional credits, location, prices, and download links: 💾 Download Catalog: SimPrint - riverianepondsims

📰📞🚌

#ts3cc #ts3 cc finds #s3cc #ts3 #sims 3 cc #my cc #cc download #ts3 cc download

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creative-time · 2 years

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The Guardian Interview 2022 (Simplified Bullet List Version Because Its 1 am)

Major Spoilers ahead so read at your own discretion

(They mention the 2019 pilot so I’ll go over that first)

Alright so someone has given me a link to the pdf of this interview, I’m not gonna say who did because I don’t want anyone going after them but they have given me permission to talk about this.

I’m also not going to be linking to this pdf, because tbh I don’t know if that is legal and I’m not taking that chance… but I believe you can find it if you look for it. (For legal reasons this is a joke)

Here are some things that I feel are important takes from this interview

The 2019 Pilot:

Becky Sloan states that Clayhill was “a bit South Park”

Baker Terry adds that they made an attempt to get an element of current affairs, but he whispers it “because it almost sounds like a dirty phrase”

They felt the timelessness and claustrophobia of the originals were missing

So, I guess this means that nearly everything in “The Key to The City” is not going to be present in the tv show, which is a bit sad but I guess is understandable.

They also did not mention if they were ever going to officially release the pilot so we are still on that can of duck organs 🙃

Alright, this next bit is gonna get into the tv show so you have been warned, it does get a little… interesting to say the least.

The TV Show

They wrote this during the pandemic (obviously), over zoom and they felt that is may have helped recapture the oppressive vibe they felt was missing from the Pilot, Joseph states that it was strange writing a show about characters stuck inside while they were also stuck inside, “so maybe there are points where we did actually go insane”

This interview states that Baker does “About 80%” of the voices, and yeah that adds up

Jamie Demetriou, Lolly Adefope and Phil Wang have come on board to voice new characters

Sam Campbell and Natasha Hodgson have joined as writers

Megan Ganz is the story editor

Lolly Adefope is playing an intercom (An intercom character or a character that just so happens to be using the intercom???) and singing a “vocoder-packed pop number about workplace stress management”

Terry says that they have spent their whole adult lives doing this (also adds up)

Just the sentence, “On TV, the homemade ethos remains - which will please fans who have been patiently waiting six years for it to appear.”

Hugo Donkin makes a brief cameo appearance in this interview along with Charlie Perkins

Apparently they went ham on the props, there’s a background prop of a travel pamphlet and inside are felt pictures of holiday locations and that’s actually kinda cute

The trio share a comically large wallet that’s only shown for a second, Joe says there’s gonna be a number and date on the credit card “that no one will notice”

“Everyone’s gone insane of set” -Joseph Pelling

There is a stop-motion area on set where they are working with clay (LETS GOOOO)

… the urinals… are gonna have eyes… and limbs… the urinals are alive and I don’t know how to feel about that tbh…

The prop making area has also been dubbed “The Puppet Hospital”

There’s gonna be a vending machine full of cigarettes and bottles of “Mysterious dark liquid”

Also a robot dog! Hopefully it is wholesome and not bad at all

there is a quiet dark stage dubbed “The Void”

Red and Duck are going to be confused and try to make out felt objects “Through the encroaching gloom”

Josh Elwell is Duck’s Puppeteer and contorted themselves on the floor behind a felt fridge to get out of shot!

Perkins says that bringing in professional puppeteers has added, “so much personality and emotion”

Becky says there’s gonna be scenes with Yellow Guy where the people might cry (what is this a call out post??)

They actually had to stop using real meat for this show and had to use silicon replicas because there was an incident where they used actual beef to fill a “horrible vending machine” and it apparently smelled so bad that crew decided to switch to fakes

Terry’s favorite dhmis theory involves Bosnian Serb war criminal Radovan Karadžić

Becky’s is a huge fan of the “conspiracy-level scrutiny they have attracted”

There is a mention of the Ed Tucker Duck Tree anagram

“They refuse the debunk any of the theories”

The trio says they put a ton of Easter eggs in this show because they know the audience has the appetite for “dissecting things” (yet another callout post)

There is a life-size felt car sitting on stilts, Becky said that the crew dumped the car “in hope that the show’s supersleuths might one day discover its location” (CIPHER HUNT 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO)

You’ll apparently have to swim through a swamp to get to the car, but Becky says that people can find it

Joe says that they had to give the characters little desires to fit with the runtime of a tv show, even it the desire was “I don’t want to be in this room anymore”

All the props and puppets are in storage, but the trio hope to exhibit them one day

“At some point, we’ll have built everything in the world out of felt,” says Pelling. Sloan pipes up: “No one can stop us!”

And that’s all I can think of right now, I took me an hour to write this and it’s now 2 am I’m going to bed

#dhmis #don’t hug me i’m scared #dhmis spoilers #the guardian #dhmisspoilers

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theworldvsyoshiko · 5 months

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I think what I'm going to do after Study Butte hits $350k colony value or I feel like I'm done here is:

see if I can use Character Editor or something to export Yoshiko and start a whole new game with her as-is. The current game is stable, but I think all the mods I've added/removed have corrupted things a little, so I'd like to get a clean start.

Also: switch up the mods one last time while I'm at it. If I can start a new game with Yoshiko, take the opportunity to add some new biomes and stuff to the new world (probably dropping the Biomes! stuff and adding ReGrowth instead.) Add the mod that'll let Creticonian Creed do adoptions. Also Vanilla Helixien Gas Expanded, because I miss it.

Perry Persistent storyteller, potentially modded to raise the population even farther. If I can find a good way to make more children spawn too, I'll do that, but I don't think there really is one.

Might try to make the new world not have insectoids and/or mechanoids too? More human raids means more potential to capture children. Insectoids in particular I just find more tedious than challenging.

Regardless: orphanage. Just how I'll handle questions like 'what do I do when I have enough people that the storyteller's reluctant to offer me more' is something I'll play by ear.

If I do start a new game, I might do a Naked Brutality start for the hell of it. Can poor Yoshiko survive with nothing but her wits, her professional-level skills in almost every field of human endeavor, and like $15000 worth of bionic implants?

#the world vs. yoshiko

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thevindicativevordan · 2 years

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Since you mentioned that Williamson would probably launch a Superman ongoing. How do you imagine his run would look like?

Well I called it, not that it was a hard thing to predict:

Looks pretty much exactly what I expected. All the classic elements get plenty of focus, Lois is back at the Daily Planet, Clark will be going up against a bunch of classic villains - Parasite is the villain of the first arc, seems Livewire, Bizarro, and Silver Banshee won't be far behind - classic supporting cast members like Jimmy Olsen will be getting used, and there may be either some new faces or revamps of old ones. That cop with the pony tail in the upper right might be a new take on Inspector (Commissioner?) Henderson. Williamson is at his best when he's focused on one character and just doing fun superhero adventures instead of trying to write big events or copy Morrison. Robin and Flash delivered that for me and were enjoyable, he should bring a similar level of quality here. If nothing else the use of classic Superman Rogues who haven't gotten attention in a while like Livewire, Silver Banshee, and Bizarro get points with me, I don't expect him to write the definitive Parasite arc, but if he can at least provide entertaining Superman stories featuring classic Superman Rogues I'll be happy.

Kaminski (head editor for the Superbooks) hinted on Twitter that Zod was going to play an important role in the Superbooks next year. Given Williamson already used him once for Batman/Superman - his use there of Zod was good - I wouldn't be surprised if he uses him again here. Perhaps Zod is the figure in shadow if it isn't teasing a new Superman Rogue. I've long wanted Zod to fill the Ra's role in Superman's Rogues Gallery and Williamson did position him as that, if he is writing Zod I hope he continues to develop that characterization for him.

Obviously Campbell's art is gorgeous, but does anyone really think he's going to last long on a monthly ongoing? Naomi and Far Sector really struggled to come out on time, if Campbell can do just one arc I'll be happy. Dragotta is a good artist too, but I don't know if he's fast enough to do a monthly these days. I'll enjoy their time on Superman regardless, can't wait to see them draw the villains!

Now for the rest...

Anonymous asked:

New Superbook lineup?

First DC panel thus far to actually talk about the big plans for 2023. Honestly I'm pleased overall with the news that was shared.

Action is becoming a Superfamily book with PKJ continuing to write the main feature, which will still be standard issue length. Lineup is Clark, Kara, Conner, Kenan, Jon, Natasha, and the two Phaelosians from Warworld that Superman adopted: Osul and Othul. Ever since Detective Comics became a Batfamily book during Rebirth I've been wanting to see someone try and do the same for the Superfamily. Metallo is going to be the main villain for the first arc starting in Action 1051, and seeing Metallo be a threat strong enough to challenge the entire Superfamily has me hyped. Loved how PKJ has written the book up till now, hopefully this switch doesn't cause him to struggle. If he does a good job he'll be delivering sorely needed development to Superman's Rogues and his Family, two areas I've long been begging to see more attention given.

It's a small detail but I love that Kenan still has his white and black yin-yang s-shield underneath his jacket. Everyone looks good to me, although perhaps Nat should just change the color of her armor rather than wear a hoodie. And PKJ finally gets an artist who is both good and fast! Sandoval hasn't had trouble meeting a monthly schedule so Action should finally have an artist who can draw consecutive issues. Just need DC not to poach another artist from PKJ for their events, first Sampere then Federeci, go find another book to swipe artists from!

Two backups are being added, Jurgens writing kid Jon stories set in the past and Leah Williams writing Power Girl. Jurgens Lois and Clark was my favorite thing he's done since the Triangle Era, but this sounds boring. Doombreaker (aka Doomsday with four arms instead of two) is not a villain who is attracting my interest, PKJ already brought back Conduit Jurgens, you've said repeatedly you were going to tell a Conduit story after Action 1000 if you got to stay. Go tell that story instead of something conceptually dull as Doomsday 2.0. No opinion on Williams, her Trial of Magneto was terrible but her Mary Jane series was entertaining, I think PG will be a good fit for her, and there's always Johns' JSA if not.

Superman: Son of Kal-El is ending with issue 18 and DC is launching a new Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent 6-issue miniseries where Jon will fight Ultraman and meet Val-Zod. Taylor was claiming he was writing post-Kal-El Returns SSOKE issues a while back on Twitter, so I assume that DC is taking what he had planned for future issues and just doing it as a mini in hopes of increasing sales. My hunch is that this mini will mark the end of Taylor's time with Jon, and he'll either depart the Superman sphere entirely or go do a Val-Zod mini, since all he really cares about is using Jon's book to spotlight his OCs. I want it to flop so he'll be done for good, he's done jack shit to establish Jon outside of his bisexuality, countless other more pressing developments need to be done for Jon to really stand on his own as a hero, but of course Taylor would rather bring in his successor to Superman and try to push Val one last time over actually developing Jon as a character.

Saw that yet again you have people theorizing this is going to end with a version of kid Jon returning or Jon being deaged and at this point I don't even care if that happens. Taylor completely squandered the opportunity Jon represented, long as Val-Zod fucks off back home to Earth 2 and Taylor doesn't try to keep him on the main Earth then fine, whatever, you lot can have your kid Jon back. Completely wasted the potential he offered, might as well reset him back to default. I don't think that's happening, Othul and Osul are filling the kid role for Clark and Lois, plus there might be that Legacy League book coming yet. If it does I don't even care anymore. There's one ray of hope for me even now: Waid, Yang, Watters and PKJ might be writing him soon.

Coming up after Dark Crisis, we have the Lazarus Planet event. Waid has a good track record with weekly events - 52, the No Surrender trilogy - and the supporting writing lineup looks great: Yang, PKJ, Watters, and more. No Multiverse bullshit and any of those guys writing Jon will be an improvement over Taylor. Given this is where Jon is getting his electric blue powers, which will still be a thing over in Action and AoS, this event is going to be important for his direction as a character. Obviously this is me projecting, but I want to believe that one of the writers here is going to end up taking over control of Jon after Taylor's finishes his mini, ideally Yang or Watters. Hey Yang if you can bring Kenan into this event, do it. Taylor keeps trying to make his Superman stick, might as well assert yourself and use your Superman too where you can.

Good lineup generally. That's not counting other projects we know are coming such as Porter's Superboy mini, Waid's Superman: Testament book with Hitch, or Venditti's Superman '78 Season 2. Taylor hinted on Twitter that there are more announcements coming too after Action 1050, and PKJ hinted that something might be coming with Lana. Praying that a Steel miniseries with Lana in there as secondary protagonist/love interest is coming, written by Greg Pak, is in the works. Steel isn't in Action or advertised as being anywhere else, but he had a badass Action 1050 variant and it would be weird for him to just disappear. Irons is being positioned as a key player for PKJ Action, for him not to be with the Superfamily post 1050 must mean he's getting a book of his own. That's how I'm coping anyway.

Anonymous asked:

Thoughts on the NYCC announcements? Personally I'm afraid the Authority will go into the background if Action is becoming the Superfamily book, but I still trust PKJ to introduce interesting concepts.

Yeah I'm resigning myself to the Authority crew getting dropped. PKJ was asking on Twitter if people thought there was any interest in an Authority book not by him, and saying he'd want to get an LGBT+ writer for them. Later said that DC was trying to find a place for those characters, so maybe we'll get a new Superman & the Authority book down the road. I wish they'd induct Apollo into the Superfamily, getting him away from Midnighter who always overshadows him (heh remind you of another duo?) would be good for him. Let him play off of other flying bricks and show how he's similar and how he's different. Let him bond with Jon over being a queer hero and the difficulties that come with that, of trying to establish a place for yourself in the shadow of one of the greatest heroes of all time. I want Apollo so badly to be inducted into the Superfamily but I don't think it's happening. Can always dream though!

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kelmcdonald · 9 months

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August Newsletter: Back From Comic Con

Hi everyone! And welcome to everyone who signed up for my newsletter at San Diego Comic Con. It was fun to see a San Diego Comic Con where comics were the focus again. If you're new here I'm making these comics:

Blue Moon is a werewolf romance gn I'm writing and Meredith McClarren is going to draw. I'm late on its script.

The City Between is my webcomic about werewolves in the future. It updates Wednesdays. The current story is called Shards of Reflection.

You are the Chosen One is a fantasy comic about 23 kids who got the same prophecy dream. It was posting on Fridays on my Patreon. But my editorial work has been piling up/overwhelming me lately. So it's on hold until I finish up some other stuff.

My day job is an editor at the manga company Seven Seas and the indie comic publisher Iron Circus Comics. I like folklore, fantasy, and especially like werewolves.

This month I'm making tweaks to my website. So we finished some more minor switches like adding more social media buttons to the top bar. But this month we are gonna revamp the store section. Speaking of the store, Misfits of Avalon volume 1 is out of print. I just sent the last ten copies to White Squirrel who handles my store fulfillment. I'm not gonna sell it at cons anymore. In about a year or so, I'll probably talk to Darkhorse about putting it back online and printing an omnibus.

This month's werewolf movie is The Howling 2. I'm showing it in my discord server August 30th at 5pm PST. Pop in to join if you like!

As always I'll be streaming art on Twitch. My schedule is currently the following:

Tuesday 8pm-10pm PST

Wednesday 8pm-10pm PST

Thursday 6pm-9pm PST (during the Iron Circus Geekshow)

On August 24th, we'll have Tracy Butler of Lackadaisy Cats on Iron Circus Geekshow as a guest to close out the wildly successful Iron Circus crowdfund for Lackadaisy Season 1.

So last month I was too wiped to post photos of going to the Del Tor that I went to in June. But I sat down and put them in a drive that anyone can browse. So have a look if you wanna see some of the puppets used in the Pinnocino movie.

While I was at San Diego Comic Con, I went to a Junji Ito exhibit. It was very cool seeing his originals. I always think its cool to see how different artists end up using white out or what needs correcting. All the photos I took during SDCC are also in a drive for you to browse.

If you just want to see cosplayers though and not horror art I posted cosplay photos on my instagram.

As for what I'm working on, I'm still playing catch up on stuff from shake ups at Iron Circus Comics. So I'm officially putting You are the Chosen One on hold until I have Blue Moon scripted. I might put it on hold longer because I realize I'm almost half way through Shards of Reflection and haven't finished the next City Between stories's script. I'm pretty sure more people read/are interested in The City Between than You are the Chosen One. So it's got to take priority.

Some time this month I need to find time to clean up Murky Water. It got it's first proofreading pass and I need to fix text. Then I need to start building a crowdfund for it and decide when and where to run it. Iron Circus has been having good luck with Backerkit, but it's back end is overly complicated in my opinion. Meanwhile, I said last year that I probably wasn't gonna use Kickstarter again because of them moving to the blockchain. They have kinda walked that back, but not 100%. Either this month or next, I'll type something up and ask what you all think of both platforms.

With all this on my plate, I haven't had much time to check out new stuff. Plus with the writers/actor strike, I don't want to promo any TV or Movies I've been watching. The makes my what I've been checking out section pretty focused/brief.

I started reading Berserk.

And it's really really good.

If you are unfamiliar with Berserk, it's a classic manga/anime. And about a year ago it's creator, Kentaro Miura, died. Since then more and more people online have been giving it new attention and encouraged people to sit down and read it. The youtuber Super Eyepatch Wolf had a video that got me interested, Then FD Signifier brought it up in his videoessay about masculinity and anime. And then War Rocket Ajax reviewed it on Comic Catch up. So I pulled the trigger and read a big chunk of it.

And like I said, it's really really. It's extremely violent and frequently indulges in edge lord levels of grim dark. So skip it if you don't like extreme violence. But there is some beautiful character moments that are all the more touching because they contrast the violence.

It's just some really good comic storytelling.

That's it for this month. Thanks everyone for your support!

#comics #webcomics #newsletter

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kitkatt0430 · 8 months

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Managing Calibre and FanFicFare - Additional Plugins, Tips, and Tricks

Here's a few more scenarios you may run into while managing your local fanfic archive and how to navigate them. As well as additional plugins that might make your life easier when managing your fanfic library - or any library of eBooks you may choose to use Calibre to control.

Anthology Options aren't working:

In this scenario, you've installed Calibre and the FanFicFare plugin, but the anthology options aren't being made available in the FanFicFare options menu. Don't worry, this isn't a problem with either Calibre or FanFicFare. Sometimes plugins will depend on other plugins for additional functionality and that's what's happening here.

FanFicFare will utilize the Epub Merge and Epub Split plugins as part of it's anthology creation process. If you go to the plugins management modal, choose the option to get more plugins, and search for these two plugins then you should be able to install them. They are two separate plugins and Calibre will need to restart after each install. Once they're both added to your Calibre instance and everything has been restarted, check out the FanFicFare menu again and you should see the anthology options available now.

I missed this while creating my initial walkthrough for Calibre + FanFicFare since I already had these plugins installed.

But what do the Epub Merge/Split plugins do? It is pretty much what it says on the tin. Epub Merge allows for merging multiple eBooks of the same format into a single new eBook. Useful for taking separate chapters and merging into a single book or taking books in a series and merging into a single anthology. If you have a bunch of stray recipe files, you could turn them into a custom recipe eBook. In turn, if you have an anthology eBook then you can use Epub Split to split out the separate books into unique files to make tracking which parts you've already read easier.

FanFicFare takes advantage of this functionality for it's fanfiction anthology management options. But you can utilize them separately for your own uses as well, either by assigning them to the toolbar or adding to them to a control menu.

Updating missing metadata:

There are two different ways to go about this, depending on whether you're wanting to update the file for a single fanfic or for an anthology series.

For single books, this process can work regardless of whether the fic was downloaded using Calibre + FanFicFare or if it was downloaded/created via other means. If you've directly downloaded a file off ao3, used a browser tool to create a fanfic off of FFnet, or simply added new columns for meta data tracking that weren't there when you original created the eBook file - it's actually pretty easy to update the metadata for a single eBook.

First you're going to want to check the book's metadata in the metadata editor. On the default tab in the metadata editor, there should be a field labeled "id". This field needs to be populated with the URL for the fanfiction. If it's already populated, you should be good. But if you need to switch to a different URL or add one, then the field should be formatted like this: "url:https://www.dummyfanfic.url.com/"

Once you've verified the URL is correct or added the URL if necessary, save and exit the metadata editor. Make sure the entry for the book (or books) you want to update is selected in the main eBook list and then head over to the FanFicFare control menu. Choose the option to Update Existing FanFiction Books from the menu.

The update modal should pop up with a list of all selected eBooks pre-populated and indicating if FanFicFare can update them. Any non-anthology eBook with a valid url in the id field should be indicated with a green icon as a valid update option. Any anthology eBook or single fanfic with an invalid url or empty id field will be indicated with a red x. If you choose to update the file, then only the valid options will be updated.

Before clicking the OK button, you'll want to update the following settings in the modal. Beneath the list in the modal should be a select box where you can choose to Update Calibre Metadata from Web Site - this will cause the updater to only check for metadata and not overwrite the existing eBook. And a checkbox for Update Calibre Metadata - sometimes the select option alone is not enough if the eBook is otherwise up to date; this will force the metadata to update once gathered. Choose the select option and check the checkbox, then click the OK button.

The job should run and update any eBook with a valid URL that is not an anthology.

For Anthologies, this is only going to work for eBooks created through FanFicFare. You might be able to manually add a series url to a regular eBook, but I haven't tested it and can't be certain it won't simply recreate and overwrite your existing eBook file. That said, if a series used to be tracked on one website and you want to track it on a different one now - say a series moved from Twisting the Hellmouth to Ao3 or from Ao3 to SquidgeWorld - you should be able to update the main series page url in the metadata editor's id field the same as you would for a single fic. But I haven't tested this yet either. So be warned, this isn't going to work exactly like the single book metadata update. Though the process is very similar.

You'll probably be doing this if you added new metadata tracking columns or if a new fic has been added to the series and you want to ensure the new metadata for this fic is added to the data being tracked for the entire series once updated.

Anthologies can only be updated one at a time. Select the book you want to update and then open the FanFicFare control menu. Select the Anthology Options, which will open a flyout menu. From there, choose Update Anthology Epub.

A modal should open with the list of URLs for the fanfics included in the anthology. Check the option at the bottom of the modal that is labeled "Update Calibre Metadata?" and then click the OK button. NOTE: if updating the anthology will mean losing an existing fic included in the series, it will warn you before allowing you to proceed. Be aware that if parts of a series have been deleted, you may want to simply manually update the anthology's metadata.

The job should run and update the anthology's metadata on completion, as well as updating the eBook itself with any new chapters or fics associated with the series.

Picking additional plugins:

There are a lot of plugins available for Calibre - officially supported or otherwise. While I'm mainly going to touch on officially supported plugins here - AKA, plugins that can be added using Calibre's internal add plugin flow - I am going to mention one plugin that would need to be side loaded. I'm not going to explain how to use that one since it is not useful for fanfic management, but it's good to know it exists for managing other, non-fanfic eBooks.

Find Duplicates

This plugin does essentially what it says on the tin. You can use it to find duplicates, so if you have multiple versions of the same fic from different sites (and possibly different author names, since they may not have kept the same user name from one site to another), this plugin can quickly evaluate your library and display the resulting selection. From there you can determine whether they're actually duplicate files and remove any unneeded entries.

For non fanfic library maintenance, this is also useful for identifying entries for different eBook file formats - epub, azw, mobi, et cetera - and combining them into a single entry that tracks all formats. Or merging metadata for two entries of the same eBook that also have the same format. You'll want to be very careful if merging two entries with the same format type so that an earlier version of an eBook doesn't replace a more recent version.

Mass Search/Replace

This is very useful for cleaning up and consolidating tags in your custom metadata. Fandom names will vary from site to site: Ao3 will use The Flash (2014) while SquidgeWorld uses the similar The Flash [2014] while FFnet will just call it The Flash. Character names may also differ from archive to archive: B. Sisko on FFnet would be Benjamin Sisko on Ao3 and you probably want all the fics with everyone's favorite Emissary to the Prophets tagged with the same name.

Once you've installed the plugin, it's fairly simple to use. Make sure to add it to a toolbar and then click the icon on the toolbar to bring up it's control menu. Choose Quick Search/Replace and from the flyout menu choose the Library option to search through and change tags across the entire open Library.

A modal should open with a list and a single entry already present on the list. Double click the entry to edit it. Another modal will open where you can assign the search field from among the columns, the tag you're searching for, and the tag you want to replace it with. You can also test the replacement at the bottom of the modal before going forth on a full replacement.

Additionally you can change whether it'd replacing based on exact character matches or using a regular expression - I'd recommend sticking to exact character matches if you're unfamiliar with how to use regular expressions. You can also replace an entire field, but I definitely do not recommend that one.

There are various other settings in there too and you can even save searches for re-use later. When trying out a new setting, always test it first before rewriting the tags on your entire library. If you can back up your library before trying something risky, the plugin itself recommends doing so.

Once you've got your search set up and working as expected in the tests, choose the OK button to close the second modal. This will return you to the first modal. Click OK on the first modal to run the search/replace function.

WARNING: In case you missed it before, this is a very powerful tool and, consequently, can really screw up your library if you're not careful. Backing up your library before making changes is highly advised.

TTS to MP3

This one isn't necessarily obvious based on the name at first. TTS here refers to "Text to Speech". This plugin is useful for creating an mp3 file using Text to Speech to 'read' an eBook for you. If you like listening to your fanfics and no one has podficced a fanfic yet, you can use this option to convert a fanfic to an audiofile.

I'm not super familiar with this one's usage yet, so I'm not going to include instructions for using it. It won't hurt anything to play around with it until you figure it out, though. And it's definitely no replacement for having a real person doing a pod fic since the computer isn't going have the natural pauses and rests of a human voice between paragraphs and the like. But when you're hankering for an audio version of a fic and there is none, it's better than nothing at all.

CalibreSpy

If you want to be able have read access to your fanfic library while managing a different library in Calibre - or vice versa - this is the plugin for you. It essentially allows you to search for, open, and read eBooks from any library Calibre manages while having a different library open for direct management. Since you can only directly manage one library at a time, this is useful for if a book has gotten lost and you want to find which library it was accidentally moved to or simply want to have a book open to read from a different library while still managing the currently open one.

Library Splitter

This sticks a frontend on the existing Calibre functionality for moving eBooks between libraries. You can use this to copy books between libraries or move them entirely (copy to a new location and delete the original), which is useful when splitting a new library out from an old one or if you dumped a bunch of eBooks into a default library to sort through later.

If you've chosen to manage multiple fanfic libraries, then you can use this for moving fanfics between the different local archives. But it's also useful for if you've accidentally added a non-fanfic file to the archive and want it moved to the library it actually belongs to without having to delete and re-add the file.

You can add this plugin to a toolbar, but it's functionality will also be available in the menu that appears when right clicking an entry on the main eBook list.

DeDRM/NoDRM

This one isn't really for fanfic management nor is it an officially supported Calibre plugin. Originally called DeDRM, it's been forked and renamed NoDRM since the original maintainer gave up control of the project. (Lack of time, I think?)

This is for stripping DRM off your eBooks. And it is very good at what it does. A lot of people have contributed - and continue to contribute - to allow people to rip the DRM off their eBooks and read their files - or loan their files - however they may choose to. This works with most major DRM types, though you may need to do additional work beyond just side loading the plugin to allow it to do it's thing. Kindle books in particular need a lot of prep to work - downloading two additional (and officially supported) KFX plugins as well as directly configuring the plugin (the easiest method involves using the serial number for a kindle device you physically own and have linked to your account, so you'll have to work a lot harder if you don't own a kindle device).

You'll want to do a lot of research with this one, but Calibre + DeDRM/NoDRM is one of the big appeals to using Calibre for regular eBook management. It was certainly what originally drew me to Calibre since I wanted to be able to read my eBooks in whatever eReader app I wanted to, as well as consolidate my collection from multiple sources.

The GitHub repository for NoDRM is found here and will have more information on how to use and install the plugin.

Since you own the file, technically you can strip off the DRM for your own use. But it's definitely a gray area which is why Calibre doesn't officially support the plugin.

#kitkatt0430 explains #ficArchiving #calibre #fanficfare #additional plugins #how to update metadata for existing fics/anthologies #tag management

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seattlewa-hq · 1 year

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Hi everyone! This is not a drill - we open for interactions tomorrow! I really can’t believe all the attention this roleplay has gotten so quickly. I sort of feel like I’m being pranked, like people are gonna come out with cameras and reveal it was all one big joke. But so far it isn’t! So, being said, I’m gonna leave a few points under the cut that I want to tell everyone! If everyone could like this post once they read it, I’d appreciate it very much.

01. Beta Editor

So I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I think it’d be in everyone’s best interest if we all used the new Beta editor Tumblr has rolled out. Meaning, if you have an old blog with the Legacy editor, please click that big purple popup in the corner to switch over to the new editor. Now, I know this is a big change if you aren’t used to it. I also kinda hate it. But it works best for everyone if we all use it. Tumblr has said they’re planning on getting rid of the Legacy editor altogether, so it’s easiest for everyone to just make the switch and adjust.

There’s a helpful tutorial here on how to use it and the new new version of xKit, and if you need additional help then let me know and I’ll walk you through it. It’s a necessary evil and I promise it’s easier to use than it seems.

02. Intros

I don’t think I said this in the rules, which is my bad, but intros are expected from everyone! They can be as short or as detailed as you want, I really don’t mind. I just want the most basic of information about your characters, and I would like it pinned to your profile so everyone can see it!

03. Locations Page

Due to some requests in the OOC Discord, I’ll be adding a locations page to the main! It’ll take me a few days to get it all set up, but if you have any requests or ideas for it, send them to the main or to the suggestions page on our Discord if you’re a part of it!

04. Co-Mod

I’m thinking, with how much attention the main has been getting, I might need to consider getting a bit of help running things. I think I’ll put together a little co-admin application for whoever is interested, so if you are interested, be on the lookout for that in the next few days.

05. I LOVE YOU!!!

I know I’m a broken record but I am SHOCKED beyond shocked that people have joined this roleplay. I thought I’d be sitting here, making posts into the void, getting ignored in the tags until I just lost motivation and deleted the blog. But you guys have proven me wrong in the wildest, craziest way and it’s insane! I’m so happy and so grateful for you guys, and I hope with everything in me I give you a fun writing experience here.

#sewa.admin

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warbefall · 1 year

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In regards to my last reblog aka the post editor PSA, currently I’m torn about it! The rest of this post will be under a read more to not clog up everyone’s dash!

I know I owe several people replies, some of which have been sitting in my drafts for the better part of a month now ( not that I’ll ever stress myself to reply to anything in a rush, but it’s a fact that it’s true ). Some of you may have noticed that I tend to quietly prioritise inbox content more than threads, & a part of that reason - albeit a very small part - is the issues with the different post editors.

I started off this account using the new beta editor but still had the option to switch between both editors. Some of my older mutuals might remember when I was still new & experiencing a LOT of stress about this whole post editor fiasco because for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out a happy medium in order to cut my threads properly. I ended up with both versions of XKit installed but ultimately stuck with using the legacy editor as that’s what the majority of the people I had threads with were using at the time & I wanted to avoid the entire headache of it all.

So far it’s been going well but recently I’ve been seeing not only a bunch of existing mutuals making the switch to the new beta editor, but new mutuals who have no choice but to use the beta editor & as a result, maintaining threads has reached a sort of stalemate. Truth be told the main reason I’m slacking on replies is because my depression is peaking & it’s bringing my motivation down, but now adding to that I’m not sure what to do about post editing. I have threads with people that were created initially using legacy editor & so replying to them with the beta editor on my end will break them if I switch, & I also have threads with people created initially with the beta editor that my partners are unable to cut on their end, resulting in new posts being made every time.

Like I said, I’m torn on switching or not! It seems like switching is the obvious answer because it’s an inevitability in the end anyway but sometimes change isn’t that easy! Part of me is considering just scrapping everything & starting interactions all over again from scratch & making sure both me & my partner are clear on which editor we’re using from the get go to avoid any issues. For the time being though, I’ll do what I can but I get stressed easily so please bare with me!

TL;DR : the post editor stuff makes me stressed & confused & I don’t know what choice to make!

#｛ out of chara ｝.#SHRUG EMOJI

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shamelesslymkp · 1 year

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The Cask of -Amontillado- I mean, Destiel

for @newleasemylove!

(this was intended to have more but i'm using the beta post editor and it's giving me a headache, i need to switch back but i already added a bunch and don't want to delete everything i already put.)

(please check out my pinboard for moar.)

N.B. these recs are not in any way comprehensive or exclusionary of any of the other amazing destiel and spn fics in existence; this is quite specifically a list of fics meant to entice the 'i don't even go here' crowd, as tested on my dear friend @arrows-for-pens

Come here, dear reader. I have some lovely and completely non-life-destroying fics to recommend to you.

Let's start off a few universes over from canon.

bendingsignpost - Cinderwings - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own]☑ https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847041

Under the cover of a masquerade ball, Castiel has five nights to recover the key to his people's freedom. The world has changed greatly in the six centuries since their banishment into the void, but the task isn't impossible. Unfortunately for Castiel, this is going to involve talking to people - especially the Knight Prince who has taken an interest in Castiel and his "costume" wings.

bendingsignpost - [SERIES] talk - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own]☑ https://archiveofourown.org/series/1380490

As a grease monkey turned college freshman, Dean's constantly three seconds away from being stressed out of his mind. It hardly helps that he's finally figuring out his sexuality in his thirties. What might help with that stress is a little phone number (and a big credit card bill). If he can't figure out how to be bisexual in person, he can at least give it a go over the phone, right? (It's probably a bad idea, but he really can't help himself.)

And now let's start moving back.

bendingsignpost - Dean Winchester and the Goddamn Kill-Steal - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own]☑ https://archiveofourown.org/works/20837732

Another raid on a hub of demonic activity, another case of Dean finding every last one of the bastards already dead with their eyes burnt out. The new and unnerving trend is royally pissing him off, but at least he's always able to blow off some steam these days too. Hooking up with that traveling business guy was an awesome move.

Amiril - The Mixtape, Or: Six Things You Learn in Thursday School - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own]☑ https://archiveofourown.org/works/30585971

History passes into legend— but without the Winchester Gospels, that legend must be assembled from the notes of Prophets and Hunters. Human society and the English language may take a few wandering turns along the way, but one thing is a constant: people will always argue about Canon. Or: God got beat up and replaced by his grandson. You could make a religion out of that. (Words: 6,240)

sobsicles - according to all known laws of life - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own] https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207901

Cas comes back. It's not exactly the reunion that Dean is expecting. ~~~ Dean stares at him, flummoxed. Cas quite literally poured his heart out to Dean, gave a truly sappy and distressingly romantic speech and everything, then proceeded to give his life so that Dean could live his. And he wants to act like he doesn't want to see Dean, be around him, touch him? Actually, Dean's ninety-nine percent sure that Cas probably wants to fuck him, and while he has no clue how he feels about that, he's pretty goddamn sure that means Cas doesn't get to act like this and make it authentic. It feels strangely real, though, as if Cas wants nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible. This is a blatant contradiction. Even someone as weird as Cas doesn't want to get away from the person they have the desire to fuck five ways to Sunday, that they're in love with. That's not how these things work, so Dean isn't buying it.

adaille - Pray for What You Need☑ https://archiveofourown.org/works/14674776

Asmodeus imprisons and impersonates Castiel, forcing Dean to confront his feelings and figure out what he needs from the angel.It takes him a while.### Cas was angry, Dean knew that. He’d been angry ever since Dean fought with him over his re-involvement with Lucifer. The whole I’m-gonna-go-off-alone-and-search-for-the-fallen-archangel plan seemed ill-advised, and perhaps Dean could’ve toned his protest down, but the sentiment stood. In Dean’s defense, they just got him back. It wasn’t fair that the universe needed saving, again. Always again, and again, and again. Cas was dead not even a month ago, lost to the Empty, and Dean just wanted him to take it easy for a bit. Stay safe. Stay here. With him. With him and Sam, that is. Or you know, just him. Whichever. Either, or. (Words: 26,648)

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techsculpt · 1 month

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The Importance of Regular Hardware Upgrades for Optimizing Performance

Upgrading your computer isn't just about keeping up with the latest tech trends; it's a practical way to ensure your machine can handle everything you throw at it, from the latest games to heavy-duty graphic design software.

Let's dive deeper into why upgrading your hardware - specifically RAM, SSDs, and GPUs - is a game changer for optimizing performance.

Why Upgrades Matter

Imagine your computer as a workspace. The larger and more efficient the workspace, the more projects you can handle simultaneously, and the faster you can complete them.

That's essentially what upgrades do for your computer. They expand its capabilities and streamline processes, making everything from booting up to running complex software faster and smoother.

RAM: The Multitasking Maestro

RAM (Random Access Memory) is critical because it directly impacts how well your computer can multitask. More RAM allows your computer to keep more programs open at once and switch between them seamlessly.

For gamers, this could mean being able to play a high-demand game while also running a voice chat application and streaming software without any lag.

Graphic designers might find that with more RAM, they can keep their design software, web browsers, and other tools open simultaneously without slowing down their workflow.

SSDs: The Speed Kings

Upgrading to an SSD (Solid State Drive) is like moving from walking to driving a sports car. Everything just goes faster. SSDs store data on flash memory, which means they can fetch data much quicker than traditional hard drives that rely on spinning disks.

This speed difference is most noticeable when you boot up your computer, launch applications, or load large files. For anyone who's ever groaned at a slow computer, swapping in an SSD is a revelation.

It's not just about saving time; it's about reducing frustration and making your computer more enjoyable to use.

GPUs: The Graphics Powerhouses

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is what makes everything you see on your screen, from desktop icons to the most detailed 3D environments in games and professional design software.

Upgrading your GPU can make graphics look sharper, scenes render faster, and videos play more smoothly. This is crucial not only for gamers who want immersive experiences without frame rate drops but also for creatives who rely on precise, high-quality visuals for their work.

A better GPU means less time waiting for renders and more time bringing your creative visions to life.

The Real-World Impact of Upgrades

So, what do these upgrades mean for you in everyday use? Let's say you're a gamer. Upgrading your RAM and GPU means your favorite games will not only look better but run smoother, with fewer annoying freezes or crashes.

For graphic designers and video editors, more RAM and a faster SSD can drastically cut down the time it takes to open files, apply effects, and render final products.

In both cases, these improvements mean you can do more of what you love, faster and with less hassle.

Beyond Performance: The Cost-Effectiveness of Upgrading

One of the best things about upgrading your computer's hardware is that it's often more cost-effective than buying a new machine.

For example, adding more RAM or swapping your old hard drive for an SSD can significantly boost your computer's performance at a fraction of the cost of a new computer.

Plus, these upgrades can extend the life of your current machine, giving you more bang for your buck and reducing electronic waste. It's a win-win situation.

Upgrading as a Long-Term Strategy

Regularly upgrading your computer's hardware is a smart strategy for keeping it running at peak performance. This doesn't mean you need to upgrade everything all at once or chase the latest and greatest components.

Instead, think of upgrades as a way to gradually improve your system's performance over time. Start with the component that will make the most significant difference for your needs.

For many, that might be an SSD for overall speed improvements, or a GPU for better gaming and graphic design capabilities.

In Summary

Upgrading key components like RAM, SSDs, and GPUs can transform your computer's performance, making it faster, more efficient, and better suited to handle whatever tasks you throw at it.

Whether you're gaming, designing, or just looking for a more responsive computer, these upgrades offer a practical and cost-effective way to get the most out of your technology.

So, before you consider buying a new computer, think about what upgrades could do for your current machine. You might be surprised at how much life you can breathe into it with just a few changes.

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cdevroe · 2 months

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The first rebuilding blocks

Korczak Ziolkowski wakes up early on a bitter cold winter’s morning – the same way he has for several decades – after breakfasting and a few mugs of the hottest coffee his palette can stand, he shoulders his tool belt and trods his way in knee-high snow to the eastern wall of the Crazy Horse Memorial… his lifelong unfinished masterpiece.

I like to think that working on one’s own personal website is a lot like Korczak Ziolkowski’s pursuit of progress on the ambitious mountain-sized memorial he started in the late-1940s. He knew he’d never complete the work in his lifetime. He knew that each day’s progress would be measured in inches and pounds and that, only after a generation’s worth of effort, would he be able to look back and see that what he had begun to make was worth it.

In late-November 2023, I changed jobs from VP of Marketing to Senior Product Manager (and lead developer) of Hubbub. When I was working in marketing I needed technical side projects to scratch that particular itch I’ve always had. But now that I spend some amount of time every workday programming – I don’t need to be working on side projects as often. And I certainly don’t need to be building my own static site generator anymore. But I do need a better playground to test and improve Hubbub. So I’ve switched back to WordPress to power my blog.

If you were following along on my journey to build Tuff, the static site generator that powered my site for well over a year, you might be wondering whether I’m upset that I’m replacing it. Wasn’t it a waste of my time? I think it was a valuable project for me to work on.

Martiijn Doolaard, a web designer, musician, cyclist, and now successful YouTuber rebuilding stone animal structures in the alps (who I watch every Sunday with Eliza) recently had a similar reaction to one of his projects. Doolaard had spent a great deal of time building a crane to move large heavy stones on the roofs of his buildings. He spent several weeks honing the tool to work for his needs – only to set it aside when the day came to use it. He answered some questions about whether or not he felt that was wasted time and he said (I’m summarizing) that it wasn’t a waste of time because he enjoyed building the crane.

I enjoyed building Tuff. And that should be enough to consider it time well spent. Tuff is still currently powering a few of my other websites (though, I plan to move them all to WordPress over the course of this year). Imagine building something from scratch that you were able to use for more than a year on multiple websites? That isn’t wasted time. I learned a bunch, used my brain, and honed some of my skills that I use everyday.

In order to improve a software product, I need to be one of its most active users. We acquired Hubbub in December 2023 and for the last few months we’ve had a roadmap of low hanging fruit updates. We’ve fixed some bugs, patched some potential (albeit mild) security vulnerabilities, and added some new features. But our best work is definitely ahead of us. We’re now up-to-speed on the codebase, the issues, the customers, etc. and we’re in the phase where I’m using the product everyday. I’m beginning to have ideas of how the product can be much better, more capable, and more valuable for customers. It is also more likely that I will run into an issue by using the product daily so that I can fix the issue before customers even notice it.

My website is a child theme of the Twenty Twenty Four theme. When I set out to begin this rebuild my goal was to use WordPress’ full site editor (FSE) to complete my entire site with writing as little code as possible. I thought it would be a worthy exercise to help me understand the state of this part of the WordPress ecosystem.

The full site editor in WordPress has really improved a lot and at a fairly rapid pace. While I wasn’t able to complete my entire site without any code, it may not be long before I’ll be able to do so. I’ve seen a lot of complaints in the community about the direction that WordPress is taking with Gutenberg and the FSE. Alternative forks are being worked on. My opinion is that the FSE is the right direction to go, especially to enable non-technical users to build their own websites. I have a lot more to say about this but overall I’m bullish on the FSE.

My site uses a child theme so that I can enable custom post types, add custom styles, a Query Loop Block variation that adds custom taxonomies as filters, adds a template part for my new logo, enables some meta boxes for the metadata on portfolio items, adds support for the aside Post Format, and manipulates the guid in the database. A few of these features could have been done another way (perhaps by someone with more experience than me). I’m hoping that future versions of WordPress will allow me to remove code rather than add it.

Based on my experience rebuilding my website, I may write a separate post about some features that WordPress should have out-of-the-box that it currently does not. Maybe some of them are already underway.

My personal website is not as ambitious a project as Ziolkowski’s memorial of the Lokatan war leader, but I’m fairly certain that my website will never be truly finished. I’m glad that I spent the time to get to where it is today. There is a lot of work yet to be done (especially on mobile and the archive) but I’m excited to be publishing new stuff again. Recently I published a new portfolio piece, a podcast appearance, a new open source plugin, and some photos into my new snaps area.

Much more to come. Stay subscribed.

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jcmarchi · 4 months

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Dos & Don'ts for the WordPress Block Editor

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/dos-donts-for-the-wordpress-block-editor/

Dos & Don'ts for the WordPress Block Editor

The WordPress Block Editor continues to improve. Each new version contains something worth celebrating.

The tool has empowered content creators and designers. You no longer need additional plugins to build a functional page layout. WordPress core includes just about all the basics. Need something more? There are plenty of ways to extend the editor, too.

None of this makes the Block Editor foolproof, however. It’s still easy to paint yourself into a virtual corner. A simple mistake can mean more difficult maintenance – particularly when clients are involved.

I’ve built quite a few sites with blocks. And not every decision was a good one. Yes, I’ve created a few messes. Cleaning them up can be time-consuming.

Today, I’m going to share a few things I’ve learned. May these lessons help you avoid a similar fate!

The WordPress Developer Toolbox

WordPress Themes, WooCommerce Themes, Plugins, Web Templates, Newsletter Templates, and much more!

Do: Think about Future Maintenance Needs

Page layouts don’t last forever. They must adjust as our content needs evolve. The Block Editor can act as a trap in these situations.

Consider a company’s staff listing, for example. Let’s say our client wants to display each person’s name, title, and photo.

It sounds simple. We can use the Columns block to create a beautiful and responsive layout. The page looks perfect. But what happens when we need to make changes?

Staff members come and go. Yes, we could replace the departed staffers with the new ones. Then again, our client wants them to display in alphabetical order. The required changes don’t follow suit. What do we do now?

The options are less than ideal. We could edit the block’s code to rearrange each column. Or we could reconstruct the layout from scratch. Both possibilities are rife with peril. OK, perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic. But it’s not fun.

A custom block may be a better solution. Using Advanced Custom Fields PRO, you could create an interface that allows for easier maintenance. Adding, deleting, and rearranging the list would be built into the block. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when making changes.

The lesson is to think about the future maintenance needs of your layout. Then, implement a strategy that will allow for changes. You’ll be glad when the time comes.

Don’t: Allow Users to Switch between the Block and Classic Editors

The WordPress Classic Editor is still alive and well. Millions of websites are using it. That’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with using a tool you’re comfortable with.

However, mixing the Block and Classic editors can be messy. The Classic Editor plugin has a setting that allows users to switch between editors. You might want to leave this feature turned off.

Let’s say you’ve built a complex layout using the Block Editor. But your client doesn’t like blocks. Or they aren’t familiar with them. They decided to edit this page using the Classic Editor. Hilarity (or tragedy) ensues.

Then, you edit the page and switch back to the Block Editor. You see numerous errors stating that blocks contain invalid content. The “Attempt Block Recovery” feature doesn’t work. It looks like you have a mess on your hands.

Too much can go wrong in this scenario. Thus, don’t allow users to switch between editors. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

Do: Choose Third-Party Block Plugins Carefully

There are a multitude of plugins for extending the Block Editor. Many of them offer a suite of custom blocks.

That’s a good thing. The core blocks included with WordPress aren’t always flexible. Thus, installing a custom block may be of help. But it’s worth scrutinizing them first.

Custom blocks are plugins, after all. They can vary in terms of features and quality. The same rules apply when choosing the right one.

Only install what you need. Study each plugin’s reviews and changelog. And remove any block plugins you aren’t using.

What’s the danger? The wrong plugin could cause bugs or performance issues. Plus, security is always a concern.

Third-party blocks require a commitment. Be sure that you’re ready to take that step.

Don’t: Edit Blocks as HTML

The Classic Editor made it easy to switch between visual and code editing. You might use this feature to add HTML or a CSS class. There were some hiccups, but it worked well enough.

The Block Editor has a similar feature. Blocks have an “Edit as HTML” interface. You can access it via each block’s options menu.

I never understood the purpose of this feature. That’s likely because I always end up breaking something. Adding a CSS class, for instance, triggers an error when switching to the Visual editor.

A "This block contains unexpected or invalid content" error is displayed. From there, I have to go back in and remove the class. The same issue happens when adding other types of content as well.

Therefore, it may be wise to consider editing block HTML as off-limits. There’s more risk than reward.

Plus, you can use the Custom HTML block for similar tasks. Add HTML, CSS, or even JavaScript into the field. You won’t break it!

By the way, you can add CSS classes to blocks via the Advanced tab in the settings panel.

Do: Use the Block Editor’s List View Feature

WordPress allows us to nest blocks inside each other. And blocks are portable. You can drag them anywhere on the screen. That can result in some undesired effects.

For instance, moving blocks to a new spot can be difficult. It’s easy to make a mistake. The wrong move could undo a lot of hard work.

The List View feature can save you a lot of headaches. It provides a visual outline of each block on your page. It even works with nested blocks.

Even better, you can easily reposition blocks directly within List View. Click on a block and drag it to the desired position. Need to move multiple blocks? That’s also possible.

The user experience is infinitely better than wrestling with the editor. You’ll have a better sense of where you are on the page. And it will likely make for easier edits.

Do: Keep Experimenting with the Block Editor

The Block Editor isn’t perfect. Like all editors, it has some quirks and annoyances. But it’s still worth testing the limits.

That’s often the best way to learn. So, create a local website and experiment. See what works and what doesn’t. But don’t limit yourself to a single test.

The user experience is evolving. Thus, a technique that didn’t work last time may now be possible. You might even install the Gutenberg plugin to get a taste of what’s coming in future releases.

Doing so will serve you well. You’ll be able to build layouts that stand the test of time. And you might be surprised at what you can accomplish using blocks.