Adding contacts to distribution lists automatically

[Lisa]

I would like to add several hundred contacts to distribution lists based on
categories. I only need to do this once (I have Send Personally from mapilab
to handle future subscriptions) but the idea of changing existing contacts
manually makes my head spin...any ideas on how to automate this? I'm using
Outlook 2000.

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

My question is why would you want to do this?
DL's are buggy, featureless and inflexible.
Since you've created Categories already, why not use those instead of DL's?

 

[Lisa]

I've used categories in the past, but it involved adding new subscribers
manually and assigning a category. I now have Subscription Manager from
mapilab to automatically process subscribe/unsubscribe requests but it works
with distribution lists, not categories. I also have Send Personally so I
can create a message to the distribution list and send it as individual
emails to each list member.

I'm not attached to any particular way of doing this - if there is another
way to automatically add contacts using info in their subscription emails
and assign a category to the contact, that would be fine too.

Cheers
Lisa

My question is why would you want to do this?
DL's are buggy, featureless and inflexible.
Since you've created Categories already, why not use those instead of DL's?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I would like to add several hundred contacts to distribution lists based on
categories. I only need to do this once (I have Send Personally from
mapilab
to handle future subscriptions) but the idea of changing existing contacts
manually makes my head spin...any ideas on how to automate this? I'm using
Outlook 2000.

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

So you are not asking about how to add existing Contacts to a list, just new
ones?
There is no way to add new Contacts automatically to either a DL or a
Category.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I've used categories in the past, but it involved adding new subscribers
manually and assigning a category. I now have Subscription Manager from
mapilab to automatically process subscribe/unsubscribe requests but it
works
with distribution lists, not categories. I also have Send Personally so I
can create a message to the distribution list and send it as individual
emails to each list member.

I'm not attached to any particular way of doing this - if there is another
way to automatically add contacts using info in their subscription emails
and assign a category to the contact, that would be fine too.

Cheers
Lisa

My question is why would you want to do this?
DL's are buggy, featureless and inflexible.
Since you've created Categories already, why not use those instead of DL's?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I would like to add several hundred contacts to distribution lists based on
categories. I only need to do this once (I have Send Personally from
mapilab
to handle future subscriptions) but the idea of changing existing contacts
manually makes my head spin...any ideas on how to automate this? I'm using
Outlook 2000.

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

 

[Lisa]

Sorry if I confused the issue! I only want to add the existing contacts to a
list according to their category...the rest of my ramblings were in response
to your surprise that I want to use a DL ;-)

Lisa

So you are not asking about how to add existing Contacts to a list, just new
ones?
There is no way to add new Contacts automatically to either a DL or a
Category.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I've used categories in the past, but it involved adding new subscribers
manually and assigning a category. I now have Subscription Manager from
mapilab to automatically process subscribe/unsubscribe requests but it
works
with distribution lists, not categories. I also have Send Personally so I
can create a message to the distribution list and send it as individual
emails to each list member.

I'm not attached to any particular way of doing this - if there is another
way to automatically add contacts using info in their subscription emails
and assign a category to the contact, that would be fine too.

Cheers
Lisa

based
on

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Well then my original question remains. Why can't you use your Category
instead of a DL?
Select the Category > Actions > New Message to Contact.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Sorry if I confused the issue! I only want to add the existing contacts to
a
list according to their category...the rest of my ramblings were in
response
to your surprise that I want to use a DL ;-)

Lisa

So you are not asking about how to add existing Contacts to a list, just new
ones?
There is no way to add new Contacts automatically to either a DL or a
Category.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I've used categories in the past, but it involved adding new
subscribers
manually and assigning a category. I now have Subscription Manager from
mapilab to automatically process subscribe/unsubscribe requests but it
works
with distribution lists, not categories. I also have Send Personally so I
can create a message to the distribution list and send it as individual
emails to each list member.

I'm not attached to any particular way of doing this - if there is another
way to automatically add contacts using info in their subscription emails
and assign a category to the contact, that would be fine too.

Cheers
Lisa

My question is why would you want to do this?
DL's are buggy, featureless and inflexible.
Since you've created Categories already, why not use those instead of
DL's?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I would like to add several hundred contacts to distribution lists based
on
categories. I only need to do this once (I have Send Personally from
mapilab
to handle future subscriptions) but the idea of changing existing
contacts
manually makes my head spin...any ideas on how to automate this? I'm
using
Outlook 2000.

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

 

[Peter D]

Well then my original question remains. Why can't you use your Category
instead of a DL?
Select the Category > Actions > New Message to Contact.

Way to not answer a question!

In the future she wants to use software/process that requires her to have a
DL for people to auto-subscribe to. She also has current Contacts that have
a Category that she also wants to be part of that future process/system. In
order to achieve that end she needs to add these current contacts to the DL
that will be used by that future process/system. Again, that future process
requires her to create a DL.

IOW, whether Category is better than DL is immaterial.
HTH

Sorry if I confused the issue! I only want to add the existing contacts to
a
list according to their category...the rest of my ramblings were in
response
to your surprise that I want to use a DL ;-)

Lisa

So you are not asking about how to add existing Contacts to a list,

just
new

ones?
There is no way to add new Contacts automatically to either a DL or a
Category.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I've used categories in the past, but it involved adding new
subscribers
manually and assigning a category. I now have Subscription Manager from
mapilab to automatically process subscribe/unsubscribe requests but it
works
with distribution lists, not categories. I also have Send Personally

so
I

can create a message to the distribution list and send it as individual
emails to each list member.

I'm not attached to any particular way of doing this - if there is another
way to automatically add contacts using info in their subscription emails
and assign a category to the contact, that would be fine too.

Cheers
Lisa

My question is why would you want to do this?
DL's are buggy, featureless and inflexible.
Since you've created Categories already, why not use those instead of
DL's?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I would like to add several hundred contacts to distribution lists based
on
categories. I only need to do this once (I have Send Personally from
mapilab
to handle future subscriptions) but the idea of changing existing
contacts
manually makes my head spin...any ideas on how to automate this? I'm
using
Outlook 2000.

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

What I was suggesting was that she would do well to consider whether another
solution would work. DL's are notoriously unreliable and there are usually
better alternatives. Most people who rely on DL's for mission critical
functions regret it eventually and switch to another method for grouping
recipients.
If she really wants to use a DL, I'm sure I can figure out some clumsy way
to convert a Category into a DL, but there is no native utility to do so.