I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
don't like people contacting them.

On 13.03.2024 15:12, Richmond wrote:
> I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
> I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
> ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
> and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
> notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
> account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
> Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
> couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
> don't like people contacting them.
Exactly!
My wife bought a Samsung cellphone (S23 or S24, don't remember), and I
should set it up. It kept on nagging about that Samsung account. It was
like going round in circles. I got rid of the nagging somehow, and
haven't seen it since.
But that experience made me swear to never buy a Samsung phone.
--
Jesper

On 3/13/24 7:12 AM, Richmond wrote:

>I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
>I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
>ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
>and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
>notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
>account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
>Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
>couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
>don't like people contacting them.

I'm posting this with a Samsung Galaxy S9FE tablet which I recently
acquired. Likewise it kept bugging me to turn on the Samsung account. I
have a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone so I went through the same thing with it
some years back. My solution was to use my fake name and email and sign in
then, and so did it again with this tablet. No more bugging and everything
is working fine. If you can't fight it, join it... ;)

Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
> I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
> I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
> ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
> and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
> notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
> account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
> Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
> couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
> don't like people contacting them.

You use/need a Samsung account for Samsung services like Samsung
Cloud, Samsung Pass, Find My Mobile. Samsung apps and services, etc..

See Settings -> Accounts and backup -> Mange accounts -> <your>
Samsung account -> General -> My profile -> Apps and features.

Of course it's up to you if you want/need any of these services.

I only use Samsung Pass (and 'hence' Samsung Cloud).

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote or quoted:
>Of course it's up to you if you want/need any of these services.

One never knows! Once a man had a Samsung mobile device
with a key called "Bixby". Pressing it would interrupt his
current activity with a display error. So, the man might
have thought about fixing it with some adhesive. But wait!

One day, his power button broke. That was bad, because he
needed the device immediately. But he had deactivated the
function for switching on via the touch-sensitive screen.
The volume button would not switch the device on either.

But the Bixby button switched the device on! So after
many years, a use for this button was discovered. It's
a spare power button in case the main power button breaks.

Thank you for your foresight, Samsung!

Stefan Ram wrote on 13 Mar 2024 16:59:45 GMT :

> Thank you for your foresight, Samsung!

I don't do anything lightly, and certainly I don't create an account on my
phone (or on the Internet) just because a marketing company tells me to.

An account is like livestock. It doesn't get to live on the farm unless it
gives something to me that I want. Not only what the livestock wants.

When I first bought a Samsung phone, this Samsung Account question popped
up, which, since I make informed decisions, I googled & asked experts
about.

Since I have no accounts on my phone (for privacy reasons), I asked the
question over on XDA long ago of what good the Samstung Store was.

Everyone has different reasons, as with Frank & the Samsung Cloud or AJL in
the case of just doing everything that he's told by marketing to do or
Stefan (maybe it will be useful some day) or Jesper (just to get rid of the
nagging - which doesn't exist by the way) or Richmond (who found out that
the nagging is _only_ if you're already registered for the darn account!).

All those reasons are human.
Mine are two. Literally. Two.
1. There's nothing in the Samsung account that I can't easily get w/o it.
2. There is inherent privacy in having zero accounts set up on the phone.

As for the former, what people said on XDA was some liked "Good Lock"
(which allows you to customize your phone, but so do other apps). The fact
that Samsung keeps changing the name is indicative of problem though.

Many articles say it's the first app to add to a Samsung phone for example.
https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/samsung-galaxy-good-lock-guide

See also NiceLock alternatives.
https://xdaforums.com/t/app-v2-8-20-03-nicelock-good-lock-2020-launcher-w-update-notifications.3908648/

Other than GoodLock (which you can get the functionality of elsewhere),
I found no reason to add the Samsung Account - where - contrary to what
some people said prior in this thread - there is no nagging anywhere.

It's as if the Samsung Account simply does not exist.

On 3/13/2024 10:50 AM, Andrew wrote:

> Since I have no accounts on my phone (for privacy reasons), I asked
> the question over on XDA long ago of what good the Samstung Store
> was.
>
> Everyone has different reasons, as with Frank & the Samsung Cloud or
> AJL in the case of just doing everything that he's told by
> marketing...

Got that wrong. Samsung marketing certainly didn't instruct me to sign
in with fake credentials. But the fake credentials did give me access to
the Samsung Store which I didn't have before. However so far I've not
seen anything I need or that I haven't already gotten from the (gasp)
Google Play Store. Scary, huh Arlen... 8-O

AJL <noemail@none.com> writes:

> On 3/13/2024 10:50 AM, Andrew wrote:
>
>> Since I have no accounts on my phone (for privacy reasons), I asked
>> the question over on XDA long ago of what good the Samstung Store
>> was.
>>
>> Everyone has different reasons, as with Frank & the Samsung Cloud or
>> AJL in the case of just doing everything that he's told by
>> marketing...
>
> Got that wrong. Samsung marketing certainly didn't instruct me to sign
> in with fake credentials. But the fake credentials did give me access
> to the Samsung Store which I didn't have before. However so far I've
> not seen anything I need or that I haven't already gotten from the
> (gasp) Google Play Store. Scary, huh Arlen... 8-O

Ah, perhaps that is the answer to my question. Perhaps I created an
account to access the Samsung store. I am using the Samsung phone app
because it is the only way to switch on wifi calling (that I know
about). I guess without a Samsung account, Samsung apps won't ever be
updated.

Samsung should decide what they want to do, replace google or leave it
to google, it's a bit half-way house at the moment. The store quite
often says there are updates and then says it cannot update because the
apps are from google. So why bother to notify?

On 3/13/2024 1:08 PM, Richmond wrote:

> Samsung should decide what they want to do, replace google or leave
> it to google, it's a bit half-way house at the moment.

I think competition is good. I'm glad to have 2 stores to pick from.

> The store quite often says there are updates and then says it cannot
> update because the apps are from google. So why bother to notify?

Yup. Things can get confusing. Just go to the Play Store and update it.
I have another similar situation:

I have several Amazon Fire tablets that I sideloaded the Google Play
Store on. And sometimes the Google Play Store wants to update the Amazon
AppStore apps and the Amazon AppStore wants to update the Google Play
Store apps. Complicated. I solved it by not allowing either store to
automatically update any apps and do just it manually as needed.

The Amazon Fire OS is an older forked version of Android and so its
AppStore apps are often older versions of the same apps the Play Store
has. Thus sometimes I don't want the newer version updates.

IMO the Amazon tablets are the best in their price class and their only
fault was in lacking Google's facilities (like Gmail, the Chrome
browser, etc.).

BTW If anyone is interested in the conversion, Google it (of course).
It's very easy to do, just downloading 4 files and installing them...

AJL <noemail@none.com> writes:

> On 3/13/2024 1:08 PM, Richmond wrote:
>
>> Samsung should decide what they want to do, replace google or leave
>> it to google, it's a bit half-way house at the moment.
>
> I think competition is good. I'm glad to have 2 stores to pick from.
>
>> The store quite often says there are updates and then says it cannot
>> update because the apps are from google. So why bother to notify?
>
> Yup. Things can get confusing. Just go to the Play Store and update
> it.

I can't because the playstore has an older version.

> I have another similar situation:

>
> I have several Amazon Fire tablets that I sideloaded the Google Play
> Store on. And sometimes the Google Play Store wants to update the
> Amazon AppStore apps and the Amazon AppStore wants to update the
> Google Play Store apps. Complicated. I solved it by not allowing
> either store to automatically update any apps and do just it manually
> as needed.
>
> The Amazon Fire OS is an older forked version of Android and so its
> AppStore apps are often older versions of the same apps the Play Store
> has. Thus sometimes I don't want the newer version updates.
>
> IMO the Amazon tablets are the best in their price class and their
> only fault was in lacking Google's facilities (like Gmail, the Chrome
> browser, etc.).
>
> BTW If anyone is interested in the conversion, Google it (of course).
> It's very easy to do, just downloading 4 files and installing them...

I've been down that road and decided against it. You have to be very
trustful of those things you are downloading and installing, and you
have to include google play services or apps which use it will become
slow.

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

> On 3/13/24 7:12 AM, Richmond wrote:
>
>>I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
>>I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
>>ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
>>and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
>>notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
>>account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
>>Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
>>couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
>>don't like people contacting them.
>
> I'm posting this with a Samsung Galaxy S9FE tablet which I recently
> acquired. Likewise it kept bugging me to turn on the Samsung account. I
> have a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone so I went through the same thing with it
> some years back. My solution was to use my fake name and email and sign in
> then, and so did it again with this tablet. No more bugging and everything
> is working fine. If you can't fight it, join it... ;)

The notifications are via e-mail instead of SMS text?

On 3/13/2024 1:57 PM, Richmond wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> writes:
>
>> On 3/13/2024 1:08 PM, Richmond wrote:
>>
>>> Samsung should decide what they want to do, replace google or leave
>>> it to google, it's a bit half-way house at the moment.
>>
>> I think competition is good. I'm glad to have 2 stores to pick from.
>>
>>> The store quite often says there are updates and then says it cannot
>>> update because the apps are from google. So why bother to notify?
>>
>> Yup. Things can get confusing. Just go to the Play Store and update
>> it.
>
> I can't because the playstore has an older version.

Ah. Try a force stop on the Samsung Store app. On my Samsung tablet you
hold down the Store app icon, when the popup occurs tap the i in the
circle (upper right), then tap Force Stop (lower right). Hopefully it
won't revive or bother you again until you once again tap the Store's
icon...

If that works you'll be back to the one Google store which I think is
what you want?

>> I have another similar situation:
>
>>
>> I have several Amazon Fire tablets that I sideloaded the Google Play
>> Store on. And sometimes the Google Play Store wants to update the
>> Amazon AppStore apps and the Amazon AppStore wants to update the
>> Google Play Store apps. Complicated. I solved it by not allowing
>> either store to automatically update any apps and do just it manually
>> as needed.
>>
>> The Amazon Fire OS is an older forked version of Android and so its
>> AppStore apps are often older versions of the same apps the Play Store
>> has. Thus sometimes I don't want the newer version updates.
>>
>> IMO the Amazon tablets are the best in their price class and their
>> only fault was in lacking Google's facilities (like Gmail, the Chrome
>> browser, etc.).
>>
>> BTW If anyone is interested in the conversion, Google it (of course).
>> It's very easy to do, just downloading 4 files and installing them...
>
> I've been down that road and decided against it. You have to be very
> trustful of those things you are downloading and installing, and you
> have to include google play services or apps which use it will become
> slow.

Google Play Services is one of the 4 files I mentioned above.

I've been using the hack for a few years now with no problems or
complaints from Google (or Amazon). I'm kinda surprised that Amazon
allows it on their tablets but I'm up to date on their latest OS updates
and still no problems...

On 3/13/2024 2:14 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>
>> On 3/13/24 7:12 AM, Richmond wrote:
>>
>>> I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account, probably
>>> I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got pestered for
>>> ages about agreeing to new terms and conditions. Eventually I signed in
>>> and agreed to them because there was no way to stop the
>>> notifications. Then I got pestered with notices about logging into my
>>> account, although it wasn't me, it was the phone. I've now deleted my
>>> Samsung account but I wonder what the point of it was, and why I
>>> couldn't turn of notifications? I would ask Samsung but it seems they
>>> don't like people contacting them.
>>
>> I'm posting this with a Samsung Galaxy S9FE tablet which I recently
>> acquired. Likewise it kept bugging me to turn on the Samsung account. I
>> have a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone so I went through the same thing with it
>> some years back. My solution was to use my fake name and email and sign in
>> then, and so did it again with this tablet. No more bugging and everything
>> is working fine. If you can't fight it, join it... ;)
>
> The notifications are via e-mail instead of SMS text?

For me the "bugging" was through various popups on the device. So far no
email on my fake account after my latest sign-in and no text since they
don't have my phone number. Dunno about Richmond...

AJL <noemail@none.com> writes:

> On 3/13/2024 2:14 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
>> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 3/13/24 7:12 AM, Richmond wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account,
>>>> probably I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got
>>>> pestered for ages about agreeing to new terms and
>>>> conditions. Eventually I signed in and agreed to them because there
>>>> was no way to stop the notifications. Then I got pestered with
>>>> notices about logging into my account, although it wasn't me, it
>>>> was the phone. I've now deleted my Samsung account but I wonder
>>>> what the point of it was, and why I couldn't turn of notifications?
>>>> I would ask Samsung but it seems they don't like people contacting
>>>> them.
>>>
>>> I'm posting this with a Samsung Galaxy S9FE tablet which I recently
>>> acquired. Likewise it kept bugging me to turn on the Samsung
>>> account. I have a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone so I went through the
>>> same thing with it some years back. My solution was to use my fake
>>> name and email and sign in then, and so did it again with this
>>> tablet. No more bugging and everything is working fine. If you
>>> can't fight it, join it... ;)
>>
>> The notifications are via e-mail instead of SMS text?
>
> For me the "bugging" was through various popups on the device. So far
> no email on my fake account after my latest sign-in and no text since
> they don't have my phone number. Dunno about Richmond...

As far as I remember they were notifications, but when I went into the
notifications options they were not listed so I couldn't block them or
see what app they were coming from. I have now created a new account...

(What is a fake account? if you have access to the email then it isn't
fake?)

AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:24:34 -0700 :

> If that works you'll be back to the one Google store which I think is
> what you want?

I read the prior four responses which didn't address the privacy issues.

As I said, marketing wants you to keep their brand of horses and cows and
emus and chickens and jaguars and elephants and mice on your farm but my
rule is that nothing gets to live on my farm unless it gives back to me.

I don't care that marketing uses it to gather data on me to sell to others.

However, since I have a Samsung, I was asked in the beginning to set up the
Samsung Account, which I never did - and I never get any nags at all. Ever.

To make good decisions, when I asked on XDA what good is the Samsung Store,
respondents only found one app that they found useful on the Samsung Store
and even what that one app does can be replicated without Samsung involved.

To make even better decisions, I googled what the world thinks of it.
When I googled, a similar answer ensued (see prior referenced cites).

And yet, since marketing tells people what to do and they do it, I'm sure
there are millions of Samsung Accounts gathering data every single day.

Not me. I make good decisions. And I don't do anything just because
marketing tells me to do it. I leave that for the other people to do.

Yet, for the one seemingly technical question of setting Wi-Fi calling on
the Samsung phone, I can't imagine that's the only way to do it, since I
can set Wi-Fi calling with one button tap (without the Samsung Account) so
I'm not sure what that complaint is all about (on Android 13 at least).

You just make a desktop shortcut to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling.
But maybe I misunderstood what the problem was as that's just too easy.

If someone can justify a Samsung Account on their phone that makes sense to
me (in that I can't get that function any other way), then I'll be all ears
since I love functionality on a phone just as much as anyone else loves it.

I just happen to not want to trade my privacy for what marketing wants me
to do (and which I can get, anyway, without trading it for my privacy).

Richmond wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:26:17 +0000 :

> As far as I remember they were notifications, but when I went into the
> notifications options they were not listed so I couldn't block them or
> see what app they were coming from. I have now created a new account

You can set up a one-tap shortcut to ALL your notification history.
It has been discussed many times on this newsgroup how to do that.

Note I have one-tap shortcuts to both the "Notification log" and to the
"Notification history" both of which are on Android Samsung phones.

I'm not really sure what the difference is, but tapping my one-tap
shortcuts to each, I see my Notification log is much more detailed than my
Notification history but I'd have to dig into the intents to see exactly
which activity each of them calls (as I forgot since I set it up long ago).

Actually, since I try to always be helpful and to save others the time and
effort to figure things out that I already figured out, I looked at the
intent of the shortcuts.

The Notification log brings up this Android activity in my shortcut.
com.android.settings/com.android.settings.Settings$NotificationStationActivity

The Notification history brings up this Android activity in my shortcut.
com.android.settings/com.android.settings.notification.history.NotificationHistoryActivity

Please keep in mind that any setting you use more than once a day
you probably want to put into a folder of shortcuts for easy access.

That way, every setting you use a lot is a single tap away at all times.
(This has been discussed a hundred times already so that's all you need.)

On 3/13/2024 3:37 PM, Andrew wrote:
> AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:24:34 -0700 :

> And yet, since marketing tells people what to do and they do it, I'm sure
> there are millions of Samsung Accounts gathering data every single day.

Do you use a credit card? Go to the doctor? Have a bank account? Have a
cell phone? Etc etc. Unless you live in a cave your life is already
online. Samsung is just one of hundreds... (And worse, unlike Samsung,
my bank, doctor, CC, etc all know my real name)... 8-O

> I just happen to not want to trade my privacy for what marketing wants me
> to do (and which I can get, anyway, without trading it for my privacy).

Online privacy in the modern world?? I could have total privacy by
putting on the blinders too...

On 3/13/2024 3:26 PM, Richmond wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> writes:
>
>> On 3/13/2024 2:14 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
>>> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 3/13/24 7:12 AM, Richmond wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I don't remember why I did it, but I created a Samsung account,
>>>>> probably I thought it would be useful or helpful. But then I got
>>>>> pestered for ages about agreeing to new terms and
>>>>> conditions. Eventually I signed in and agreed to them because there
>>>>> was no way to stop the notifications. Then I got pestered with
>>>>> notices about logging into my account, although it wasn't me, it
>>>>> was the phone. I've now deleted my Samsung account but I wonder
>>>>> what the point of it was, and why I couldn't turn of notifications?
>>>>> I would ask Samsung but it seems they don't like people contacting
>>>>> them.
>>>>
>>>> I'm posting this with a Samsung Galaxy S9FE tablet which I recently
>>>> acquired. Likewise it kept bugging me to turn on the Samsung
>>>> account. I have a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone so I went through the
>>>> same thing with it some years back. My solution was to use my fake
>>>> name and email and sign in then, and so did it again with this
>>>> tablet. No more bugging and everything is working fine. If you
>>>> can't fight it, join it... ;)
>>>
>>> The notifications are via e-mail instead of SMS text?
>>
>> For me the "bugging" was through various popups on the device. So far
>> no email on my fake account after my latest sign-in and no text since
>> they don't have my phone number. Dunno about Richmond...
>
> As far as I remember they were notifications, but when I went into the
> notifications options they were not listed so I couldn't block them or
> see what app they were coming from. I have now created a new account...

> (What is a fake account? if you have access to the email then it isn't
> fake?)

It is a Gmail account that uses a fake name. And (don't tell anyone) but
the fake name that I use has the initials AJL... ;)

AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:38:15 -0700 :

>> And yet, since marketing tells people what to do and they do it, I'm sure
>> there are millions of Samsung Accounts gathering data every single day.
>
> Do you use a credit card? Go to the doctor? Have a bank account? Have a
> cell phone? Etc etc. Unless you live in a cave your life is already
> online. Samsung is just one of hundreds... (And worse, unlike Samsung,
> my bank, doctor, CC, etc all know my real name)... 8-O

I've heard many people say that privacy is too hard for them, so I believe
that you gave up long ago, just as most Russians gave up thinking long ago.

>> I just happen to not want to trade my privacy for what marketing wants me
>> to do (and which I can get, anyway, without trading it for my privacy).
>
> Online privacy in the modern world?? I could have total privacy by
> putting on the blinders too...

It's easy to be a serf of marketing. Takes nothing. No effort. No brains.
It's a lot harder not to be one.

If you can list something of value in having a Samsung Account that is
worth the loss in privacy, I'm all ears as I've asked for that long ago.

On 3/13/2024 4:51 PM, Andrew wrote:
> AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:38:15 -0700 :
>
>>> And yet, since marketing tells people what to do and they do it, I'm sure
>>> there are millions of Samsung Accounts gathering data every single day.
>>
>> Do you use a credit card? Go to the doctor? Have a bank account? Have a
>> cell phone? Etc etc. Unless you live in a cave your life is already
>> online. Samsung is just one of hundreds... (And worse, unlike Samsung,
>> my bank, doctor, CC, etc all know my real name)... 8-O
>
> I've heard many people say that privacy is too hard for them, so I believe
> that you gave up long ago

Gave up? No. I do conceal my ID when possible and/or necessary. And I
noticed that you conveniently avoided commenting on your un-private
online profile (CC, doctor, bank, phone, etc etc.). Understood.

>>> I just happen to not want to trade my privacy for what marketing wants me
>>> to do (and which I can get, anyway, without trading it for my privacy).
>>
>> Online privacy in the modern world?? I could have total privacy by
>> putting on the blinders too...
>
> It's easy to be a serf of marketing. Takes nothing. No effort. No brains.
> It's a lot harder not to be one.

> If you can list something of value in having a Samsung Account that is
> worth the loss in privacy, I'm all ears as I've asked for that long ago.

In my case it was mainly a Samsung tablet pop-up stopper with the added
advantage of having the Samsung app store made available. As to privacy,
AJL has never complained about its loss to me...

AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:19:51 -0700 :

>> I've heard many people say that privacy is too hard for them, so I believe
>> that you gave up long ago
>
> Gave up? No. I do conceal my ID when possible and/or necessary. And I
> noticed that you conveniently avoided commenting on your un-private
> online profile (CC, doctor, bank, phone, etc etc.). Understood.

Your argument is absurd for two reasons that should have been obvious.
1. You're comparing the utility of a doctor bank and CC to a Samsung app?
(that's preposterous)
2. You're assuming I have a CC on my phone, a banking app on my phone,
a credit card on my phone, etc.). I do not. Nor on the Internet.

If someone wants to hack into that information, they'll have to get it
directly from my doctor, my bank and my credit card company.

However, I understand where you're coming from because most people are like
you are. Most people don't ever think about what it is that they're doing.

Most people do exactly what the marketing organizations tell them to do.
So I get it that you're butt hurt that I said you aren't thinking.

But comparing the utility of a Samsung Account to a Doctor's Visit is
not going to impress me that you're making good decisions. It's just not.

Give me an argument that makes sense and I'm all ears.

>>>> I just happen to not want to trade my privacy for what marketing wants me
>>>> to do (and which I can get, anyway, without trading it for my privacy).
>>>
>>> Online privacy in the modern world?? I could have total privacy by
>>> putting on the blinders too...
>>
>> It's easy to be a serf of marketing. Takes nothing. No effort. No brains.
>> It's a lot harder not to be one.
>
>> If you can list something of value in having a Samsung Account that is
>> worth the loss in privacy, I'm all ears as I've asked for that long ago.
>
> In my case it was mainly a Samsung tablet pop-up stopper with the added
> advantage of having the Samsung app store made available. As to privacy,
> AJL has never complained about its loss to me...

OK. I still maintain that if you can find something inside the Samsung
Account that is worth the loss of privacy, I'd be all ears if it made sense
(as I asked the same question the first time I got a Samsung years ago).

Most people are like Russian serfs.
They do whatever they're told to do.

It's the easy way out for them.
In a way, I envy people who never stop to think what it is they're doing.

Life must be so idyllic for them, as it is with the common Russian serfs.

On 3/13/2024 5:29 PM, Andrew wrote:
> AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:19:51 -0700 :

>> I noticed that you conveniently avoided commenting on your
>> un-private online profile (CC, doctor, bank, phone, etc etc.).
>> Understood.

> Your argument is absurd for two reasons that should have been
> obvious. 1. You're comparing the utility of a doctor bank and CC to a
> Samsung app? (that's preposterous)

Nope. I just said your life is already online and available to hacks
if you use those things.

> 2. You're assuming I have a CC on my phone, a banking app on my
> phone, a credit card on my phone, etc.). I do not. Nor on the
> Internet.

Nope. Your phone has nothing to do with it. If you use the above
services, phone or no phone, your life is online and available to hacks.

> If someone wants to hack into that information, they'll have to get
> it directly from my doctor,

My doctors use 3rd party online sites to carry on business where I can
make appointments, see diagnosis, pay co-pays, communicate with their
offices, etc. Unless you're seeing country hicks I'll bet yours do too.

> So I get it that you're butt hurt that I said you aren't thinking.

Using insults instead of facts and logic is a show of poor thinking.

> But comparing the utility of a Samsung Account to a Doctor's Visit is
> not going to impress me that you're making good decisions. It's just
> not.

No doctor's visits were mentioned. Only doctor's (and other services)
online records

> Give me an argument that makes sense and I'm all ears.

I did.

>> In my case it was mainly a Samsung tablet pop-up stopper with the
>> added advantage of having the Samsung app store made available. As
>> to privacy, AJL has never complained about its loss to me...
>
> OK. I still maintain that if you can find something inside the
> Samsung Account that is worth the loss of privacy, I'd be all ears if
> it made sense (as I asked the same question the first time I got a
> Samsung years ago).

I explained my reason for opening a fake Samsung account last time.
Reread my answer 2 paragraphs above. As to any privacy paranoia, YMMV...

Andrew <andrew@spam.net> wrote:
> AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:19:51 -0700 :
>
> >> I've heard many people say that privacy is too hard for them, so I believe
> >> that you gave up long ago
> >
> > Gave up? No. I do conceal my ID when possible and/or necessary. And I
> > noticed that you conveniently avoided commenting on your un-private
> > online profile (CC, doctor, bank, phone, etc etc.). Understood.
>
> Your argument is absurd for two reasons that should have been obvious.
> 1. You're comparing the utility of a doctor bank and CC to a Samsung app?
> (that's preposterous)
> 2. You're assuming I have a CC on my phone, a banking app on my phone,
> a credit card on my phone, etc.). I do not. Nor on the Internet.
>
> If someone wants to hack into that information, they'll have to get it
> directly from my doctor, my bank and my credit card company.

Well, some of your fellow paranoids claim that - in the US - such
organizations are also selling your 'personal'/'private' [1] data.

Face it, as AJL hints at, that information is just on a *different*
server - than Samsung's, Google's, etc. ad infinitum - over which you
*also* have *absolutely no* control.

Sweet dreams!

[1] Scare quotes, because - contrary to popular FUD, urban legend,
hearsay, etc. - the big tech companies have very little *actual*
personal/private data.

Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
[...]

> Ah, perhaps that is the answer to my question. Perhaps I created an
> account to access the Samsung store.

You probably were asked to create the Samsung Account when you set up
the phone.

In my notes, it says that during setup there was a prompt to login to
my Samsung Account. That prompt probably also had a link to create an
account. (I already had a Samsung Account, because I bought the phone
with a cashback.)

> I am using the Samsung phone app
> because it is the only way to switch on wifi calling (that I know
> about). I guess without a Samsung account, Samsung apps won't ever be
> updated.

As Another Poster (TM) :-) said, you can switch off Wi-Fi calling in
Settings.

But the simplest way is probably: On the home or app screen, swipe
down from the top till you get the panel with the function buttons such
as Sound, Airplane mode, Location, etc.. Swipe that panel to the left
several times, till you see the 'Wi-Fi Calling'. Tap it to toggle it
off.

[...]

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
> On 3/13/2024 4:51 PM, Andrew wrote:
> > AJL wrote on Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:38:15 -0700 :
> >
> >>> And yet, since marketing tells people what to do and they do it, I'm sure
> >>> there are millions of Samsung Accounts gathering data every single day.
> >>
> >> Do you use a credit card? Go to the doctor? Have a bank account? Have a
> >> cell phone? Etc etc. Unless you live in a cave your life is already
> >> online. Samsung is just one of hundreds... (And worse, unlike Samsung,
> >> my bank, doctor, CC, etc all know my real name)... 8-O
> >
> > I've heard many people say that privacy is too hard for them, so I believe
> > that you gave up long ago
>
> Gave up? No. I do conceal my ID when possible and/or necessary. And I
> noticed that you conveniently avoided commenting on your un-private
> online profile (CC, doctor, bank, phone, etc etc.). Understood.

Yep. The old trick of ignoring what you can't counter. How pathetic.

And the keep-footstamping trick right after that.

[...]

> > If you can list something of value in having a Samsung Account that is
> > worth the loss in privacy, I'm all ears as I've asked for that long ago.
>
> In my case it was mainly a Samsung tablet pop-up stopper with the added
> advantage of having the Samsung app store made available. As to privacy,
> AJL has never complained about its loss to me...

Yep. The 'loss of privacy' false dilemma.