XPost: comp.mobile.android, alt.internet.wireless   
   From: horace@horacealgiers.com   
      
   On Sat, 24 Sep 2016 06:57:50 +0200, Arno Welzel wrote:   
      
   > You have a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder?   
   >   
   > Nobody I know does reinstall his or her phones or computers on a regular   
   > basis.   
      
   Actually, you misunderstood, but I do agree with you that nobody factory   
   resets their phone on a *frequent* basis.   
      
   What you misunderstood was *why* I factory reset.   
      
   The *reason* I factory reset is that I *screw* with hundreds (and hundreds)   
   of settings a month. I turn off Google Play. I eliminate the Ad Id. I turn   
   off location access to all apps that don't need it. I disable *everything   
   Google* that I can get away with, etc.   
      
   In doing so, I screw things up, which happens (and I'm ok with that).   
      
   However, I'm as old as Jeff Liebermann - so I am used to rebuilding Windows   
   OS's on a *regular* basis. We don't have to do that nowadays, but certainly   
   if you're as old as Jeff and I am, you'll remember those days of "regular   
   OS" rebuilds.   
      
   What I learned in those days is that rebuilding the OS is easy if you plan   
   ahead.   
      
   How to plan ahead is easy if you learn two things!   
   a. Put your data in a place that is never polluted by others!   
   b. Your data includes your app installers & your menu hierarchy.   
      
   With those two things done, it's actually almost trivial to reset either   
   Windows or Android in about an hour (well, Windows takes longer because the   
   factory reset takes longer).   
      
   What I do, on Android, is:   
   A. I store all my data in the flash card in /extSdCard/data/{hierarchy}   
   B. I use an Android file redirector for dumb apps' data   
   C. I automagically save all APKs to that data hierarchy   
   D. I maintain a well-organized single desktop screen which I screenshot   
   just before a factory reset (so that I can easily reproduce it if want to)   
      
   Notice whether I'm on Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android, I *organize* my apps   
   and data the *same* way.   
      
   For example, on both computers and mobile devices, I have a "browser"   
   folder because I browse the web and Tor equally on all platforms.   
      
   Likewise, I have a "communication" folder, where I perform communications   
   tasks such as email and chat and text on all platforms.   
      
   Similarly, on all platforms, I have an "editor" folder where I store   
   picture editors, and video players, and audio recording and editing apps.   
      
   My premise is that we all do (essentially) the same things on our devices.   
      
   I feel the reason why (most people) can't handle a factory reset gracefully   
   is simply that they don't plan ahead at all times for that factory reset.   
      
   I do.   
   Hence, a factory reset is no big deal for me.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)