The code releasers at WordPress.org have done it again! Their latest update, version 5.8.1, makes all your widgets magically disappear, and you’re left with a foreign interface proudly labeled as a Block Widget.

Well that just blocks all of my creative juices, and my ability to change much there. If you’re quick, after the update to 5.8, you can click a link that will tell you all about it. Fortunately, they realize that not everyone is a fan of blocks, and provide a line of code that will disable their blocks.

The line of code is really simple and you just add it to your functions.php file, which should be available via your WordPress admin under Appearance / Theme Editor (unless your site is controlled by a control freak maniac who doesn’t think you’re technical enough to handle access to this file).

Here is the code:

remove_theme_support( 'widgets-block-editor' );

That’s it!

You can also install a plugin, but why if you don’t need to have one more plugin to keep up to date!

Just for fun.. if you’re old enough to remember Gumby, you remember the Blockheads.

I really enjoy the description at this site:
Blockheads!

“G” Blockhead and “J” Blockhead are both numskulls. They know only one way to do anything: the hard way, often at someone else’s expense, and usually at Gumby’s expense. … The Blockheads never leave well enough alone!

That should be a lesson for the folks at Automattic… just leave well enough alone already! Not everyone is on board with blocks.