I've heard that it is possible to use Outlook to create a discussion group
for a small group of people, similar to internet discussion groups like
Google Groups. Is this true? What are the limitations?

Basically, what I would like to do is to have a threaded discussion group
for my Department to discuss certain issues. We are all on the same network,
so internet capabilities are not neccessary. There would be about ten of us
interacting, so I don't need a very robust solution.

While we have Sharepoint installed on the network, our IT department is
blocking our use of it. We cannot use an internet based solution like Google
Groups since their firewall blocks them.

Any help would be appreciated.

No, that's not true. A discussion group such as Googlegroups or Yahoogroups requires a server, which Outlook is not.

You'll need to go back to your IT department to see if your mail server offers at least the capability of maintaining a centralized distribution list. Too bad they won't let you use SharePoint for what it is designed to do. What a waste.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54


"Fred Coulter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:9D0C4BAA-88D1-40D9-A023-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've heard that it is possible to use Outlook to create a discussion group
> for a small group of people, similar to internet discussion groups like
> Google Groups. Is this true? What are the limitations?
>
> Basically, what I would like to do is to have a threaded discussion group
> for my Department to discuss certain issues. We are all on the same network,
> so internet capabilities are not neccessary. There would be about ten of us
> interacting, so I don't need a very robust solution.
>
> While we have Sharepoint installed on the network, our IT department is
> blocking our use of it. We cannot use an internet based solution like Google
> Groups since their firewall blocks them.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.

"Fred Coulter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:9D0C4BAA-88D1-40D9-A023-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> While we have Sharepoint installed on the network, our IT department is
> blocking our use of it.

Then you ought to take this up with top-level management - the IT dept is
there to provide a service to the company, NOT the other way round.
I can't tell you, as a retired Systems Accountant, how angry that scenario
makes me - some IT depts think they are above the Board....