I just checked out the reviews of Gutenberg editor here and most of them are negative.
On the other hand the plugin that switches from Gutenberg to the Classic editor has more than 5 million downloads but it has started to be incompatible already!
So it seems that the majority of people are not aware that CP exists.
Why don’t we advertise CP a bit by simply replying to some of the negative reviews without giving links and such things. Simply by advising people to check for Classic Press.
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And the worst review I read was this one below. I’m copying from the comments of this article.
- Trish
[ May 28, 2019 at 7:11 am ]
A lot of us are using the free version of the WordPress blog and we seem to have been abandoned to our fate, as we cannot install plugins or alter the function file. Is that it, then? Using the hateful Gutenberg editor for ever with no reprieve? if that is so, I’m tempted to go elsewhere.
[ May 28, 2019 at 6:24 pm ]
That is so, with one exception (I think). If you upgrade to the Business plan, you can install plugins. So theoretically you could install the Classic Editor plugin. But that will cost you $25/mo.
Trish
[ May 29, 2019 at 5:52 am ]
Oh gee, Dave, “only” $25 dollars a month to get back what I had in the first place. Like many other WordPress users, I’m not a business user. I am actually an old lady living on a small pension. If I had $25 a month I’d spend it on food, not a blog JUST in order to get back a decent editor for my posts. On behalf of the free users of this world, PLEASE give us back the classic editor – even if it’s just an option in the menu.
No comment …
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Any mention of ClassicPress will see the post deleted.
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There is no need to be mentioned by name.
Just something like "Check out for the “alternative WP version that uses the old editor as default”. But in order for this to work and be searchable on search engines you have to add the same phrase as tag on CP website. ( as they are going to copy paste as it is).
On regard of the post that might get deleted. No one is going to delete a post like the above as it is impossible to check out and moderate posts that don’t trigger the words that they have probably banned.
OK, give it a try and see what happens. It’s a heavily moderated forum but you might get it through.
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But in order for this kind of “advertising” be more effective it has to be done by a number of people with different accounts. If one person replies to 100 reviews they will ban him as spammer. It need ten accounts with ten post each to the reviews of those who say that they manage large numbers of websites. That is how it goes. You first target those with the the most websites that they are probably those who are most frustrated and ready to move elsewhere.
If it was so heavily moderated they wouldn’t allow the heavily derogatory ( to say it nicely ) kind of reviews that they got for the new editor. I don’t think that they moderate everything.
I suspect there have been a lot of other derogatory posts deleted. In fact, no-one knows what they moderate because there is no transparency. Posts just quietly vanish.
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Delete this too… ha ha haaaaaaaaaaa
@Marialena.S Many people, myself included, have tried to suggest people try ClassicPress.
The result is you get your account deactivated. I made several accounts and tried being as diplomatic as possible, but each one got blocked.
It’s understandable when you think about it. Why would WP want a rival CMS being advertised on their forums? WP is not the place to advertise CP.
Places like quora, devs communities and the like are.
Also our blogs and own social media…
After reading your post @Marialena.S , I agree with you, and it’s a shame CP is missing a great opportunity.
I have an idea on how to do the promotion, and it should probably work.
- Instead of replying to reviews, and advertising CP as an alternative, we do it this way: We target Agencies, yeah agency, there are lots of them giving bad reviews about Gutenberg.
To follow them up, you click their profile and you would most likely see their website, you can contact them from their (It’s no easy task thou; but since it’s an agency, its worth it, check 3b for a neat approach)
-
When we are done with that, then we follow up with individuals (Some individuals manage tons of website, and it’s worth it too)
-
If you agree with point 1 and 2, then when following up with them, please try to make your email professional - something like [email protected] .
3b. There is way to automate thousands of email without getting caught in spam box (If you build back links to your website then you know how we do that easily 
) Check it out www.sendgrid.com .
Really, CP isn’t only about the developers, and you know…
I can help with this if people volunteer, as long as some sort of automation tool is available (we can still do it manually). C’mon let’s build this place together
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Anyone who posts a hint about ClassicPress, a WordPress fork, or an alternative to WordPress will have their post deleted and/or their account banned. Every single post is read.
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WP forum moderators can ban posts but they can’t ban those who want to contact and inform other members of this forum through their accounts where most of these members give in their profile links towards their personal or business websites.
I already contacted by mail some of the members who own agencies in the style " I couldn’t reply on your post in WP forum so I send you an email to tell you that I migrated to CP etc etc".
I 've sent these emails from my website’s email account with full name etc, so no one can accuse me for spamming. Just informing.
I left also some links on the related with Gutenberg editor videos on YT.
I did so because I was after all also one of those who were able to find CP because it was mentioned on someone else’s online comment on an article or something ( I hardly remember).
I think that most of you can do the same. I mean leave “traces” everywhere or contact with pm or email directly the most frustrated with the new WP editor ones.
There is no need to send thousand emails and try to figure out how to overpass spam filters because at the end of the day the concept isn’t to spam people. The concept is to inform them that there is an alternative cms and not just a stupid plugin that has already began to be incompatible as the WP core updates are going on.
I bet that most of you are members on other unrelated with WP sites, forums etc. Add a link or mention CP at your accounts. It not that difficult and no one is going to ban you if you mention CP on unrelated with WP. org websites.
I think that I’ll dedicate a blog post on my website on this matter. No one is going to delete it there of ban me for mentioning it. At the end of the day my website is mine… my castle my rules…that is how it goes.
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Ok… one of the people that I contacted by email replied to me. He didn’t have a clue that CP existed and he was looking for an alternative similar to wordpress without a page builder editor.
He said that he will check CP out as he runs an agency and has to manage hundreds of websites ( as far as I was able to understand).
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Private contact, or talking about CP on social media and other platforms is ok. Linking to our blog in wp account also (if blog mentions CP) may be relevant. However generally speaking nobody IMHO looks at wp.org accounts when interacting with other users. I know I seldom inspect people’s profiles, and I am an average web user.
I don’t agree so much with writing to agencies directly, I think this may be considered as “unwanted info”. Moreover very often the decision to change CMS may lead to internal costs, that meaning the decision is handled by higher-ups, not by devs. Higher-ups are not easy to reach, they have very limited time. Being CP at the initial steps, they may decide that “it’s not worth”, and this first opinion may lead to them never adopting CP.
That said, speaking about CP in environments like dev communities, portals like quora and social media, even if this kind of campaign is targeted on large numbers and not built ad personam, IMHO may lead in the long run to surprising results.
Okay, good approach but using your website email feels unprofessional in this situation.
What if others try using their own website email, it’s gonna end up being duplicate and spamming.
It’s preferable to have a list of people/agency you wanna contact, and a single professional e-mail address. That way, it’s gonna be super easy, and smooth (even if done manually).
Edit: There is nothing wrong with sending mail to upset WordPress users, they would be super happy to port as long as things are compatible.
Edit 2: No one is over passing spam filters, it’s just a tool that would change the name, and subjects of your email automatically, you can also change the feel of the message base on how the user reacted on WordPress. It’s not a spam bot! It’s even better if done manually (Just takes time).
This is just my opinion please, come up with a better idea if it sound stupid, we are all here to build a better community.
I’ve sent an email to a guy that they had locked his review on WP forum . And I told him the truth. That I migrated my website on CP too because WP with Gutenberg spoiled my website’s layout and it was difficult to use.
If he took it as a spam I bet that he wouldn’t reply to me to thank me for informing him. At the end of the day that is the concept . To inform other people that encountered similar problems with WP that there is an alternative fork that can migrate instead of rely on half solution with the classic editor plugin.
I gave him the information. It is up to him to check it out and use it if he likes it or needs it.
But generally speaking the problem is not how many people will contact personally to inform about CP. It is that there isn’t enough information on the web in order for people to know that there is an alternative.
People simply don’t know it because if they knew it they wouldn’t be 5million + downloads of the classic editor plugin.
Getting a WP fork that is actually a tiny donwgrade from the current WP version is in my opinion a better and more clean solution than running yet another plugin that disables a faulty and problematic editor that runs in the core of the cms.
I don’t have any reason to change the name or the subject of my emails. And I don’t have any particular reason to send a trillion emails to unrelated people that I haven’t read at all their opinion on the matter. I send emails to people that are now same frustrated as I was back before migrating to CP to inform them that this thing exists.
There is nothing wrong on helping people get rid of their troubles.
If all of the people who use CP talked a bit more about it to their friends or at the online communities that are members, or bothered to send a couple of emails then more people would knew it.
And I don’t have any particular reason to send a trillion emails to unrelated people that I haven’t read at all their opinion on the matter.
It seems you aren’t reading properly, who said you should send mails to trillion people, I said :
We target Agencies, giving bad reviews (and was probably looking for an alternative). By the way I suggested that option, and please take things lightly with yourself.
I would probably mark you as spam, if you send that kind of email to me!
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The thing is, if you amicably contact a private person this is one on one convo. When contacting agencies, you aren’t speaking with a “person” but with an entity making economic and financial decisions. They may react friendly, but they may not also. And they may think yours is an official communication from CP. They may not know you are a volunteering contributor. Again, I think personal communication aimed to directly to companies is not asvisable, nor desiderable. If every contributor sends mails out the message will be passed in a not consistent way. We have a team handling official posts for that reason. That is why, I think volunteers should not target COMPANIES. Also in friendly informing people they should mention the unofficial character of the communication, clearly showing it’s a personal initiative.
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