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So, how would you describe them slapping the "chain" tag onto exsanguinate to make it able to chain.
To me, that is a descriptive tag that was added to affect supportability.
It is a descriptive tag (as are all tags to some extent), it does not affect supportability.
Exsanguinate, mechanically, can chain.
Because of this, the Chain Support can support it - its supportability text says "Supports projectile skills, and any other skills that chain.", and Exsanguinate is in that second group. The tag has no effect on this.
Because Exsanguinate is a (non-projectile) skill that can chain, it is given the Chaining tag, primarily to make it clear to users that the skill is capable of chaining (I don't think we give out any bonuses to gems based on having the Chaining tag and I hope we never do because then we'd probably have to go back and add it to all the projectile gems that are currently assumed to be able to chain by default).
The supportability and the tag do not affect each other. Both are there because the skill works in a way that allows it to chain. The tag is not needed for supportability, the supportability is not needed for the tag - they are two independant consequences of the mechanics of the skill.
Fortify, like Ailments, is a "generic" buff/debuff which is not considered a skill effect (regardless of how you gain it), and thus not modified by skill effect duration (or the more restrictive version that only applies to buffs). The duration of Fortify is only modified by modifiers specifically to Fortify Duration.
The "Duration" gem tag refers to specifically skill effect duration, so doesn't belong on this gem - it doesn't have a skill effect duration to modify.
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Support gems have supportability text specifically to describe which kinds of skills things they can support. The supportability system is complicated enough that there isn't really any other way to communicate that information than stating it in text.
Yeah, I got that from reading your old comments. Thank you for coming on reddit and clarifying things, you and the team really are awesome.
The window that pops up when you hover over supports that lists which of your skills it can be supported by, that's driven by supportability, and not tags, right?
Yes.