Linking Journal Entries or Contacts?

[Blue Max]

How do we link related journal entries in Outlook 2007? Obviously, certain
series of journal entries are related, just as an e-mail message thread is
related. We would like to somehow link or group these entries so they can
be followed as a chronological thread.

Likewise, we would like to link certain contacts together as might be the
case for all individuals working for the same company or for all the members
of a family. In earlier versions of Outlook, we were able to associate
contacts with each other, but do not see how to perform this same operation
in Outlook 2007?

Similarly, it would be nice to link a series of tasks, notes, appointments,
or other related items. Thank you for any help with these issues?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Give them the same category?

In Outlook 2007, the Contacts box for linking items to contacts does not appear by default. You will need to turn it on -- Tools | Options | Contact Options | Show Contact Activity Information on All Forms.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you for the reply, Sue. We condsidered the category option, but
decided to take another approach. We already have hundreds of categories
and do not want to multiply the volume of categories by reaching down into
such specific detail. On the other hand, thank you for identifying the
location of the field for listing other contact links for contacts. That
will be most helpful.

Now, another quick question, given your MVP position. A journal, by nature,
includes related threads, much like messages in this forum. Those threads
may document an evolving problem and the related solutions, elements of a
purchase transaction, business deal, and a million other things. So why
hasn't Microsoft given the user a way to link related journal entries so
that they can be displayed and reviewed similar to a message thread in a
forum?

In our opinion, they have overlooked a critical element of a journal and
severely limited the potential utility of a critical business resource.
Imagine, for example, trying to manually bring together an important
12-message thread in this forum when it is randomly interspersed throughout
hundreds of other unrelated messages?

Thanks

********************************
Give them the same category?

In Outlook 2007, the Contacts box for linking items to contacts does not
appear by default. You will need to turn it on -- Tools | Options | Contact
Options | Show Contact Activity Information on All Forms.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Microsoft has given no development attention to the journal feature since Outlook was first released, apparently because their research shows that it is used very little. If you have a retail version of Office/Outlook 2007 or a support contract, you might want to file a support incident on this issue. This is the best way to let Microsoft know that there's something missing in the application. Unlimited support for Office/Outlook 2007 is free for the first 90 days after activation. See http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vista_supoffnew for more information on this support policy.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Assuming the message is in fact a thread, right click on one and choose Find
all. If the messages are about the topic but not truly a thread, you'll need
to use other methods. You can add multiple messages to a journal form if you
want to keep them together. Or use the activities tab.

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you for the reply, Diane. What you suggest sounds useful for
migrating a message thread into a journal form, but how do you link
pre-existing journal entries together when they were originally only journal
entries?

I also appreciated the other two suggestions, but have two questions:
FIRST, when you refer to "adding multiple messages to a journal form," we
assume that you mean dragging the message into the main 'notes' section of
the item window, correct? SECOND, the activities tab has always been a
little bit of an enigma to us. How does the activities tab work? How are
the links created, are they automatic or does the user have to manually
create a link? If automatic, how does the program make the connection,
based on what data? We don't see an activities tab option for journals,
does that mean journal entries do not have that feature? Sorry, for the
deluge of questions, but we are looking for mainstay principles, beyond what
we find in help, that will allow us to understand how the activity tabs
work.

Thanks for your help with this issue.

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