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I am not a fan of tooltips. You know, those pestering little popups that get in your way when you use a new device or piece of software. Don’t get me wrong, I totally get the reasoning behind them. A lot of first-time users of any platform or software want some basic guidance to assist in navigating the uncharted waters. That’s just not me. I am quick to dismiss these “little helpers” because I am stubborn and I like figuring things out on my own. I know, that lends to some wasted time and occasionally some frustrations but still, I’d rather make my way through alone. If need, I simply want to know that there is a place to which I can go if I have questions. An FAQ or a forum suits me just fine. I still cringe every time I think of Clippy. That annoying little creature is probably responsible for my serious dislike of tooltips. I mean, look at him. I just want to flick him off of my screen.
Okay, that’s enough ranting for today. Let’s get to the point. I stumbled upon a new flag this morning labeled “Tips for Chrome.” After doing a bit of digging, I realized that the flag is actually available in the Dev and Beta builds of Chrome and Chrome OS as well. According to the flag’s description, Tips for Chrome will live in the main menu of the browser and be available for all platforms when it arrives.
Enables ‘Tips for Chrome’ in main menu; the menu item will take users to an official Google site with information about the latest and most popular Chrome features. – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS
Enabling the flag does exactly as the description states. When enabled, the “help” section of the Chrome menu now contains a new “tips for Chrome” line. So, what does it do? That’s the best part. Clicking the menu item simply takes you to the Tips & Shortcuts website for Chrome. That site is already live and you can check it out any time you want. Click the button below to give it a look-see. You can find ways to organize Chrome, maximize productivity, explore extensions, and more.
For me, this is a much better solution for tips than any tooltip. Now, if I have a question about Chrome, I know exactly where to go. I sincerely hope that Google continues this type of integration with all of its products. Google should be the go-to source for basic and advanced information and how-tos for its own platforms. While I am a huge supporter of the volunteer-managed Google support forums, it’s time the company stepped up its game on presenting and offering direct support for its products. Simple additions such as the “Tips for Chrome” are a perfect example of Google finally focusing on consumer needs when it comes to its free platforms. I would bet that this new feature will make its way to Stable in the next major update but the website is there for viewing if you need it.
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