What's the Catch With EtchWP?  ## Metadata - Author: [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/547458250246040]] - Full Title: What's the Catch With EtchWP? - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: #WordPress #CMS #WebDevelopment #Etch Author: Nikita S. Source: WordPress Website Reference: N/A --- # Title: WordPress's Current Place in Web Development ## Table of Contents: - Introduction to WordPress's Market Share - Challenges with Gutenberg Editor - Introducing Etch by Kevin Geary - Features of Etch - FAQ About Etch's Development ## Index Creation: - WordPress - Gutenberg - Etch - Kevin Geary - Professional WordPress Development ## 📝 Summary: WordPress, once a major player in the content management systems space, faces challenges with its market share and user satisfaction. Kevin Geary's upcoming project, Etch, aims to bridge this gap by providing a unified development environment for WordPress developers. ## 📖 Main Content: WordPress's dominance in web development is declining, partly due to user dissatisfaction with the Gutenberg block editor. Etch, led by Kevin Geary, is set to offer solutions to WordPress developers by acting as an intermediary between WordPress core and Gutenberg. The tool promises a range of innovative features and aims to enhance the workflow for professional WordPress developers. ### 🗒️ Notes: - WordPress is facing a decline in market share for new projects. - The Gutenberg block editor has not fully met user requirements. - Kevin Geary, through Etch, aims to revitalize WordPress's position in web development. - Etch serves as a bridge between WordPress core and Gutenberg. - Etch promises a unified interface, performance optimization, and comprehensive editing tools for WordPress developers. ## 📖 References: None ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. Kevin Geary, the mind behind Etch, is a respected innovator in the WordPress space and aims to revolutionize WordPress development with his upcoming project. 2. Etch, unlike other page builders, acts as an intermediary layer between the core WordPress system and Gutenberg, providing a unified and efficient interface for developers. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Future studies could explore the impact of Etch on WordPress's market share and developer satisfaction. - Research could investigate the effectiveness of Etch in streamlining WordPress development processes. ### 📊 Methodology: Exploratory research can be conducted through surveys and interviews with WordPress developers to gauge their interest in using Etch and its potential benefits. ### ❓ Questions: - How will Etch revolutionize the existing WordPress development landscape? - What are the potential challenges Etch might face upon its launch? ### 🔮 Future Research: Future research could focus on user feedback and adoption rates of Etch, as well as comparisons with other popular development tools in the WordPress ecosystem. ### 💡 Implications: Etch's success could influence the future direction of WordPress development and shape industry practices in content management systems. ### ✅ Logical validity: Critically analyzing WordPress trends and Kevin Geary's expertise, one can deduce the potential impact of Etch on WordPress's future and its strategic importance. ## 🎯 Conclusion: In conclusion, WordPress's current landscape is evolving, and the introduction of Etch by Kevin Geary could potentially reshape the platform's position in web development by addressing key user pain points and enhancing developer workflows. - Document Tags: [[etchwp]] [[wpdrama]] - Summary: WordPress is losing market share and developer interest, with many users dissatisfied with its block editor, Gutenberg. Kevin Geary's upcoming project, Etch, aims to improve WordPress by providing a unified development environment for creating custom fields and blocks. Etch will allow developers to manage their creations within WordPress seamlessly, addressing the current limitations of the platform. - URL: https://wpltd.store/whats-the-catch-with-etchwp/ #### WordPress's Current Place in Web Development WordPress, once the undisputed king of content management systems, finds itself at a crossroads in 2023. Despite powering a significant portion of the web, recent trends suggest a concerning shift in its dominance. According to Kevin Geary, the mind behind the upcoming Etch project, WordPress is facing a steep decline in market share for new projects. This downturn is further evidenced by a staggering 74% decrease in WordPress-related articles, signaling a potential wane in developer interest and industry buzz. The introduction of Gutenberg, WordPress's block editor, was meant to revolutionize the platform. However, seven years into the project, it still struggles to meet the needs of many users. Less than half of WordPress users report that the site editor fulfills their website-building requirements. This dissatisfaction has led to a paradoxical situation where the Classic Editor remains one of the most installed plugins, highlighting a resistance to change among the user base. Meanwhile, the core Content Management System (CMS) functionalities, once the backbone of WordPress's success, have taken a backseat to block editor development. This shift in focus has left many long-time users feeling that alternatives might offer better CMS capabilities. As EtchWP prepares to enter the scene, it aims to address these pain points and revitalize WordPress's position in the web development landscape. #### Who is Kevin Geary? Kevin Geary is a key innovator in the WordPress ecosystem and the driving force behind Etch. As the CEO of Digital Gravy, Geary has spearheaded several successful WordPress projects, including Automatic CSS and Frames. These tools have redefined approaches to CSS frameworks and accelerated professional agency workflows, respectively.  Geary's background spans multiple roles within the WordPress community. He's been a long-time WordPress user since 2005, a former agency owner, and a respected web design educator. His free Page Building 101 course has been instrumental in highlighting the limitations of current page builders and emphasizing the importance of web design fundamentals. With nearly two decades of WordPress experience, Geary has consistently worked to elevate standards in WordPress development. His unique blend of technical expertise, practical agency experience, and educational insight forms the foundation for **Etch**, positioning it as a potential game-changer in WordPress development. #### What We Know About Etch (and What It's Not) Etch is Kevin Geary's upcoming project for the WordPress ecosystem. While many details are still unknown, here's what we can confirm about Etch: * Official announcement scheduled for early September 2024 * Will be revealed through a series of private live streams * Limited number of first investors 1000 * Involves pre-selling and building with active user participation * Targets both site editor users and non-site editor users **Early adopter pricing tiers:**  Etch Pre-Sale Price * Early Bird: $499 * Investor: $799 * Partner: $1299  **Benefits for early adopters include:** * Unlimited activation Lifetime Deal (LTD) * Full participation in active development * Access to all initial deliverables as they're made available **What Etch is not:** * Not a fork of WordPress * ~~Not a new page builder~~ #### Updated after 5 September  ##### What is Etch? Etch is an innovative development tool for WordPress, created by Kevin Geary. Key aspects of Etch include: * It acts as an intermediary layer between the WordPress core and Gutenberg * Provides a unified interface for professional WordPress development * Allows creation of custom fields and custom post types within a single interface * Aimed at optimizing the workflow for professional WordPress developers * Being developed using Svelte 5 for high performance ##### The Development Process of Etch  Etch's development follows a transparent and collaborative approach: 1. Pre-selling and active user participation model 2. Three-year development timeline: * Year 1: Capability to build basic marketing brochure sites * Year 2: Support for larger, more complex sites and e-commerce * Year 3: Aim to become the de facto unified development environment for WordPress 3. Early adopter program with special pricing and active participation opportunities 4. Regular feedback loops through community engagement and development previews ##### Key Features of Etch      Etch promises a range of innovative features: 1. Unified Development Environment (UDE): * Single interface for creating custom fields and custom post types * Integrated template and component development * Streamlined post/page development * Built-in media management 2. Seamless Integration with WordPress Core and Gutenberg: * Real-time block authoring with Gutenberg integration * Two-way block sync * Compatibility with the WordPress Pattern Library 3. Professional Workflow Tools: * Class-first and CSS-first workflow options * Advanced component functionality * Loops, logic, and faceting capabilities * Integrated code authoring and version control 4. Innovative Design Tools: * Wireframe Patterns ("Sketches") * Context Menus & Autocomplete * @Recipes & Recipe-System for code sharing * HTML Parsing for converting external code * Infinite Canvas for comprehensive editing 5. Performance and Code Quality: * Emphasis on clean, semantic code output * Support for latest CSS standards * Focus on performance optimization and bloat avoidance By offering these features, Etch aims to bridge the gap between WordPress core functionality and the needs of professional developers, providing a more efficient and unified approach to WordPress development. #### FAQ ##### Will content be easily exportable from Etch? Etch content will live in Gutenberg. You won't have to export it. Or, if you do, the base WordPress exporter should do. ##### Is etch a plugin or a SaaS? A WordPress plugin. We're committed to WordPress. ##### Will this completely replace Bricks and Pro builders, or be modular enough to work with them (for a while at least)? It could work side by side with other builders, but it would defeat the purpose. You'll be better off using one only. ##### Is it compatible with multiple themes? Yes, but you won't need a theme - you'll do the page and template building in Etch. They'll provide a complimentary theme. ##### Will Etch allow clients to edit pages on their own? Etch data will be saved as Gutenberg blocks. Clients will be able to edit it in the block editor, and the changes will be synced with Etch. ##### Is Etch going to replace all your work with Bricks? Eventually, yes. ##### How much of Etch is already coded? Is there an example of the look & feel? They have a proof of concept for most of their initial features. More information will be shared the following week. #### Let's summarise Etch is a unified workspace in the form of a WordPress plugin that allows you to manage custom posts, fields, and create blocks. Everything you create will later be saved for native use within WordPress. If you're still unsure how to picture this, imagine <https://blockstudio.dev/> and Pinegrow combined into one solution. With Etch, you'll be able to: 1. Visually create blocks 2. Manage data 3. Save your creations for your clients to edit Additionally, Etch will provide a visual interface for managing meta fields, which have always been a part of WordPress but lacked a user-friendly interface. An important point to note is that it has been stated that after completing your work, you can remove Etch. This suggests that we'll need a theme where our settings, blocks, fields, and post types will be saved. In essence, Etch aims to be a comprehensive development environment within WordPress, allowing for visual creation and management of various WordPress elements, with the ability to seamlessly integrate these creations into the native WordPress system once development is complete. WPltd.store is reader supported. We may earn a commission if you purchase something using one of our links.  Nikita S. I am Nikita, a WordPress developer with a deep passion for programming. Specializing in WordPress, I have extensive experience in building custom themes, plugins, and optimizing websites for performance and SEO. Since 2009, I have been working as a freelancer, helping clients achieve their digital goals. Beyond coding, I enjoy sports and exploring new culinary delights. [View all posts](https://wpltd.store/author/nikita/), What's the Catch With EtchWP?, https://www.facebook.com/groups/547458250246040, 01j7265a0470105k0ekqy7exh2.