FR: How to Disable "Learn More" Pop-Ups in InDesign

[Tim5FA0]

After a recent update, my InDesign is now showing all these stupid pop-ups the whole time.

Screenshot attached.  To be absolutely clear, I am talking about the entire dialogue box, not the tool-tip illustrateed in a section of the dialogue box shown.

How do I kill them off once and for all ?  I've looked through Preferences but canot spot anything obvious.

<Title renamed by MOD>

[ds316]

For heaven's sake, just let us turn them OFF! You say you're always striving to make InDesign better? Better for who? I think you see dedicated users as a resource to be mined, not customer base to be served.

[ds316]

I agree. Adobe has completely lost its way. They recognize that these things annoy a LOT (maybe most) of users, but they're too busy trying to REPLACE their users with AI to worry about this. Seriously contemplating joining the rebellion.

[Eugene Tyson]

I don't think anyone wants AI to replace humans, I think we're a long way away from that. However, a lot of companies are embracing AI at the moment and implementing to their software to try bring it a new exciting level of engagement with customers, who doesn't want to reach more customers, right?

If it's not for you you don't have to use it - you can choose not to use it - like any feature in InDesign, like I don't do any Indexing or Cross-References so I simply don't use those features, but I wouldn't begrudge a newer fancier way being worked on, even if it implemented AI. 

It's like a box of chocolates there's something for everyone but you couldn't ask them to take out the toffee sweets cos you don't like them, you simply don't eat them and they either go in the bin or maybe to someone who wants them. 

Anyway, I don't think Adobe are 'lost' - sure the popups and intrusions are annoying, which is why it's been amalgamated and taken seriously - and it's great to provide feedback and it's a great opportunity to get your ideas across and be part of the revolution. 

I don't know what you mean by joining the rebellion - if you mean leaving the Adobe packages for another, nobody is forcing you to use anything. 

Adobe are the industry standard and moving to other software, like Corel, Affinity, Quark, etc. all has pros and cons - mostly that you won't be using industry standard formats that are used globally.

But if it makes you happy and you're willing to go down that route of a big learning curve and software with lesser features that may or may not work the way you like then that's up to you. 

If the issue is AI and pop ups - then I don't know how you can avoid AI as it's being embraced by lots. And the popups - Adobe are working on it. 

Share your ideas - be a part of the solution.

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

I don't think you understand what the problem is, do you? Is someone talking about AI? No. We're talking about Adobe making us do things that slow us down at work. AI was just one of the many examples of this annoying pop-up popping up. And if you want a solution, here it is. Just add a checkbox to the settings to permanently disable these annoying pop-ups. OK?

[Eugene Tyson]

Of course I understand, there's no need to be rude to me or anyone else. 

A lot of people are suggesting an option to tick it on or off. 

Id like it in the Cc app, but maybe per application is better. 

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

I see. Unfortunately, I didn't get it, because you explained at length that those who don't want to use AI don't have to use it, and you also gave a real-life example. That confused me. If you find my posts rude, then no one is forcing you to read them.

[Eugene Tyson]

I am a Community Expert on the forums - I do have to read them and I will reply when I find it necessary.

Someone else brought up AI - the forums are not very good at showing the replies in lineation so it's hard to follow the threads.

Have a nice evening.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Is someone talking about AI? 

By Jindřich3403716436xp

Yes, @Eugene Tyson was replying to a comment made in the previous post. He did not bring it up.

[HD Schellnack]

I really like how the discourse here is getting a bit emotional, it reflects the fact that Adobe does not produce 99/y just-for-fun software but the essential tools of some trades, which is part of the blessing and curse of having at least an oligopol, if not monopol. And it is a difficultposition, most reflected by Photoshop, a product that still has UX-elements from the 90s, because every move means trouble with the user base not being willing to change their ways and workflows. Personally I would love to see more disruption and going forward, learning from other softwares, improving speed and UI by moving closer to the Mac&Win infrastructures etc. This is where Affinity and Pixelmator can shine, as they really employ the graphics and esthetics of Apple MacOS, it makes the dev job easier and results in a smarter product. I can understand users paying some hundred or even thousands of dollars per month for a software package demanding some kind of mix between cutting edge technology giving them the fastest and best results and at the same time 100% reliability because in a pro environment every bug costs money instead of just being annoying . 

But these here are different, more basic arguments: 

What I understand is: 

— Most folks like AI, but we'd love to see better and non-Adobe-models integrated in PS (flux, SD etc) and especially see design- and typography-centric approached in ID. Help us do the work instead of shoehorning already-established PS-tools into other softwares we do not use for image generation. Indesign, however, could be a super interesting field for other LLM-based tools. 

— User-«friendly» pop-ups explaining new features only work when you can disable them instantly as with every other software out there. 

— I don't think people are willing to leave Adobe, they're just frustrated that Indesign seems baked and is not progressing in any sensible modern direction, instead we get more or less half-a**ed Canva-2.0-stuff like Express. From what I hear from colleagues, we all want a more, better, more versatile, more fuctional INDESIGN, that works (even better) for Print but also breaks the barrier to digital publications, something clients want but which still does not exist. One of our clients spends over 30.000€/year for a super-awful WYSIWYG-solution for online-publications, because there IS no professional tool that allows us to use the typographc and editorial power of ID, add parallax and some smart CSS-stuff and have a neat, clean, accessible and functional digital publication (the HTML-export is a small first step in that direction). Coming up with that, basically going beyond HTML and PDF (and Flash of yore) will be a market for us pros AND for Adobe. And sorry, but image-generation with a second-tier model in a software for editorial design is just not. 

So basically beyond the frustration this is a very active form of consulting, a feedback that shows how even a 20-versions-old software like ID (and AI/PS) still is relevant and still could be relevant for multivector publishing. And users probably are a bit frustrated because they and their clients need those tools – a smart design solkution with AI abilities that support but do not supplant design work and a way to output on the highest level in print and for Web/Social – and I guess we all wonder why Adobe even allow a mess like Canva to take its business model away 😄

—

[brotherb54239633]

the only software that adobe makes that isn't a complete loss is AfterEffects. They have really messed up cross compatibility with their own apps, added features people don't want and the stability of the apps across the board is abysmal. They also don't address these concerns unless a youTuber posts the problem and it goes viral. If I had a replacement for AfterEffects then I would ditch all adobe products today and I've been using adobe for 30 years. 

[Tim5FA0]

@Eugene Tyson 

With the greatest of respect, I find your tone on this thread condescending.

Just because you are a "Community Expert" it does not mean you have to sit there defending the indefensible.

The solution to this wholly un-necessary problem of pop-ups is simple.   I know that, we know that and, frankly, I'm sure you know that too.

So please, spare use the condescending statements such as "Share your ideas - be a part of the solution."  or "sure the popups and intrusions are annoying, which is why it's been amalgamated and taken seriously"

If Adobe was taking it seriously, they could have fixed it by now.   Removing the pop-ups, or introducing a tick-box to permanently remove them is something that a 5 year old could add to the code, its not rocket science.

The fact that Adobe have not fixed it yet speaks badly for Adobe.  There is no other way to see it.

[Eugene Tyson]

Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I appreciate your passion about this issue.

I understand that the pop-ups are frustrating and that it feels like a simple fix. As a Community Expert, my goal is to facilitate productive discussions and advocate for users' concerns, not to defend decisions that seem unpopular or unnecessary. Your feedback is valuable, and I encourage you to keep voicing your opinions, they’re essential in pushing for changes.

I understand that you think it's an easy fix, but software updates to remove pop-ups or other intrusions can often be more complex than they seem. These changes may involve modifying deeply integrated parts of the user interface, ensuring compatibility across multiple operating systems, and avoiding unintended side effects that could impact other features. Additionally, updates typically go through extensive testing cycles to maintain stability and avoid introducing new issues. While it may appear simple on the surface, the process can require significant development and quality assurance resources.

I can appreciate the sentiment, but if a 5-year-old truly could code a fix, we might all need to rethink our career choices! If only it were as simple as handing it over to a coding prodigy in kindergarten!

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

I see you really are an "expert". So as a programmer, I'd like to explain an important thing to you. I'm adding a NEW functionality to the code, which is the display of " tooltips ", which works in such a way that it is one function in the end, i.e. "showTooltip". If I add one condition to this function, that is, if the parameter setting doNotShowTootip == true, then it terminates the function. Is this complicated? No. Is it easy to fix? Yes. But you wrote it beautifully. An explanation to put the clueless at ease.

[Tim5FA0]

@Eugene Tyson 

You really are doing your best to be patronizing and condescending aren't you ?

So, how about we turn your asnwer on its head ?

You boast about how amazing we should think Adobe is because "updates typically go through extensive testing cycles to maintain stability and avoid introducing new issues" and  "the process can require significant development and quality assurance resources"

Ok, so if we are to believe you about how amazing Adobe is at coding, then perhaps you would like to answer the following question in an honest way :

What happened to the "extensive testing cycles" and the "significant quality assurance resources" that caused this problem in the first place ?

"extensive testing cycles" should have picked up that the pop-ups were repeatedly occuring

"extensive testing cycles" shouul have picked up that it was impossible to silence these pop-ups

"significant quality assurance resources" should have picked up that the pop-ups were repeatedly occuring

"significant quality assurance resources" shouul have picked up that it was impossible to silence these pop-ups

Finally, I said a 5-year old could fix the code because its true.  The code that introduced the feature can be removed or commented out.  Or in technical speak, the code-commit can be rolled-back.

If your code-commits are truly subjected to "extensive testing cycles" and "significant quality assurance resources" then rolling-back code should not be a problem

[Eugene Tyson]

I don't work for Adobe, I'm a user just like you and I'm only trying to help the discussion move in a positive way rather than a backbiting way - and condescending tones like 5 year olds could fix it.

I'm in no way being condescending or patronising, but if you feel that way there's nothing I can do about it. 

How it got through their net of testing and things is not my purview, and probably something that also needs looking at. 

You raise good points and I agree with you. 

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

>I'm in no way being condescending or patronising, but if you feel that way there's nothing I can do about it.

He is not alone. You may not see it in your posts, but there it is.

But you may also have started out like I did in 1993 on a Quadra 800 with Quark, Photoshop and Illustrator as a scanner operator, then you may have spent a few years doing web pages and Flash applications, then you may have spent a few years programming web applications for IPTV, then you may have spent a few years as a tester of those applications running on a wide variety of devices. So you may have extensive experience in several fields and know what it takes. However, I closed tiptool again today about 15 times, which I have seen already 150 times. The biggest deal is when the History window with tiptool opens out of the blue and it interrupts my activity. In my 30 years of working I know of only one application that crashes regularly. It's InDesign. Today it crashed "only" six times. Fortunately, I rarely lose my job. And yes, it crashes even on a freshly installed system. It's like this. And these tiptools are just the cherry on top. You hear me, Adobe? Your customer who's been using your products for over 30 years is talking to you. I don't need tiptools for my work, I need a stable application.

[amyy88994878]

>Your customer who's been using your products for over 30 years is talking to you. 

I've noticed that companies work a lot harder to attract new customers, not keep the ones they have.  (Ex: After cancelling Prime, I get so many offers to rejoin! After cancelling my cell phone plan, free months to come back!)

> I don't need tiptools for my work, I need a stable application.

Ah, but if they didn't add new features (wanted or not) how could they "innovate"? 

The project managers seem asleep at the wheel - I think Canva will take more and more marketshare. 

[ds316]

I find this comment condescending and patronising.

[avalonpp]

Please, please make these boxes go away or at least give an option to not see them. They disrupt my flow terribly. Just putting in my 2 cents as a long time user. I've been using InDesign for over 20 years, and Photoshop since 2.0 was actually snail-mailed to me on a CD. 

[ds316]

If it's not for you you don't have to use it - you can choose not to use it - like any feature in InDesign, like I don't do any Indexing or Cross-References so I simply don't use those features

Eugene Tyson

The problem with these pop-up "Learn More" ads is just this: You DO have to look at them. You DO have to interrupt your work to put them away. You CANNOT choose not to see them and you ARE required to deal with them one way or another. They are INTRUSIVE and you can't turn them off. So it's just not correct to say "you can choose not to use it" in this instance. 

I've been using Adobe software for a LONG time, and I'm NOT HAPPY to contemplate using something else; I'm annoyed into thinking about using something else. There IS a big learning curve for that decision. The simple fact that many Adobe users ARE contemplating departure, in spite of the difficulty, should tell you something. Forcing users to look at annoying pop-ups is another item on a growing list of ways Adobe seems to be getting in its customers' way.
If you subscribe to a box of chocolates for years and years, but then the company starts hiding the chocolates you like under layers and layers of new chocolates you don't like, and makes you spend an hour throwing the bad ones away before you can get to the good ones... well... you might start looking around to see what the other companies are offering. 
IMO, Adobe is willing to use its near-monopoly power to take advantage of its own customers. And reading responses like that of @Abhishek Rao doesn't give me any confidence at all that Adobe is actually "working hard on it," as you seem to believe. I think the best you can say is that they're thinking about working on it. 

But actual competitors are rising, and the monopoly ice Adobe is skating on is starting to thin.

[MK178]

Eugene, I think you're missing the point. "If it's not for you you don't have to use it - you can choose not to use it - like any feature in InDesign "    We don't want to use it but don't have the ability to not use this. These pop-up are controlled by the program and not the user. This is what we are asking the ability to do. To shut them off. 

"if you mean leaving the Adobe packages for another, nobody is forcing you to use anything." No, we don't want to leave Adobe, but Yes Adobe is forcing us to use the pop-ups by not allowing us to shut pop-ups off.   

"Adobe are the industry standard and moving to other software, like Corel, Affinity, Quark, etc. all has pros and cons - mostly that you won't be using industry standard formats that are used globally."  This is a misunderstanding on your part. I have used those other programs and they can and do use industry standard formats globally. They also do not have a big learning curve. The key commands and pallets may be different but they are very similar to what's being used in the Adobe Programs. 

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

Maybe it's because Adobe started hiring new people who just got out of school and decided to change the world, even though they know nothing about the world. Adobe, let us work in peace. Make stable software. That's all.

[Eugene Tyson]

Maybe it's because Adobe started hiring new people who just got out of school and decided to change the world, even though they know nothing about the world. Adobe, let us work in peace. Make stable software. That's all.

By Jindřich3403716436xp

Great to hear they are hiring people out of school - that's nice of them, can you show me where you found out this information?

I agree that the popups are annoying and everyone wants to work in peace without intrusion. 

It's great to see Adobe taking it seriously and amalgamating all the feedback into 1 thread which will help them to put right what once went wrong. 

Aside from that, I don't take side-digs at them is productive in the conversation. It would to hear ideas on how it can be improved and implemented.

If you've got suggestions I'd love to hear them.

[Jindřich3403716436xp]

Just add a checkbox to the settings to permanently disable these annoying pop-ups. I don't know of anyone who needs this functionality. Do you need them for your work? Have you asked Adobe to add them? I haven't.

[apollomoonfire]

I like that "people who just got out of school and decided to change the world, even though they know nothing about the world." I like that. A bit unfair, perhaps, as they do know things, but they probably have not worked in a production environment where this type of unnecessary silliness actually gets in the way of work.