[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #32772: Filter for disabling Customizer

[WordPress Trac]

#32772: Filter for disabling Customizer
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 Reporter:  hereswhatidid  |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement    |      Status:  closed
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:
Component:  Customize      |     Version:  trunk
 Severity:  normal         |  Resolution:  invalid
 Keywords:                 |     Focuses:  administration
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Comment (by hereswhatidid):

 Replying to [comment:8 helen]:
 > The comparison between the customizer and toolbar is interesting. The
 toolbar's content is determined by various capabilities, and contains some
 critical things like the log out link, which is why it can only be turned
 off for the front end. In that way, its existence is not tied to a
 capability of its own, so a filter makes sense. I wish we didn't have a UI
 setting for turning it off per user, but I recall the passionate reaction
 that led there.
 >
 > The customizer similarly has its content determined by capabilities, but
 is also in itself an editing tool. What I think is odd here, no matter the
 method of turning it off, is that you end up with users who are empowered
 to do X but not allowed to have a live preview mechanism for X. This is
 probably okay when your users only use WP in a single context, but I think
 today we're in a place where people are experiencing WP on more than one
 site, and changing that availability, shifting contents and all, is a bit
 of a disservice when it comes to the bigger picture. I'm not inherently
 opposed to somebody not wanting to use the customizer on a personal level
 - I certainly find it annoying in some workflows - but providing a filter
 for this purpose is in essence endorsing disabling our current live
 preview mechanism. That is not something I can globally get behind. Still
 a wontfix for me, but better to document and discuss.
 >
 > ------
 Thanks for the additional reasoning, it is greatly appreciated!

 One the reasons I disable the Customizer on some sites is that the UI is
 so different from the dashboard experience that my clients feel like they
 wandered into a different system. I've found that many of the small
 businesses I build WP sites for may only update their site 3-4 times a
 year and will print out specific steps on how to change things using
 screenshots. If one of them were to click the Widgets link from the admin
 bar and suddenly find themselves in the Customizer, their first instinct
 is that something is wrong and they'll call me. I don't mind providing
 training on using the Customizer but usually the response I get is more
 along the lines of, "Why did this change? It was fine before." and for
 those particular clients I'd like to be able to keep them in their
 consistent, familiar UI. The admin bar Widgets link vs dashboard Widgets
 link was especially confusing for them but that's more of a consistency
 issue than specifically related to the Customizer.

 I really do like the Customizer, I just don't feel it's a worthwhile UX
 improvement for some clients.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/32772#comment:9>
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