Why are .thunderbird and .evolution hidden ?

[Marcel Rieux]

On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 8:05 AM, Patrick O'Callaghan
<pocallaghan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Like many good ideas, I'd say that this one has very little chance of
> becoming standard practice, given that each Linux app decides for itself
> where to put its config files

As I told Ed, there is more than config files in .evolution and
.thunderbird: there is data!

> More to the point, my answer to the OP would be "use a real backup
> solution".

What would you suggest as a "real backup solution"? By this, i mean
something a Mac user could use eyes closed, given that defining a
solution that all dummies can use will in no way curtail the options
an experimented user has.