Why do I need a DL?

[SimiKev]

I can sort contacts by any field I want and I can ctrl-select and
shift-select multiple contacts, so why can't I simply email those people with
one click? The DL's are cumbersome to create and maintain (why no
drag-n-drop capability at least) and only really work well if one doesn't
have constantly shifting lists of people.

I've seen some much older posts discussing how to send an email to a group
of contacts without needing a distribution list by grouping by category and
using actions/send to contact -- but that seems to be gone in 2007. My
contacts are alreay categorized but there's no "send to contact" menu pick.

So I guess my question is: Is there any way to "simply" email a bunch of
people without having to type their names or manage a bunch of DLs? I
understand merge-lists might work here, but also that one can't add
attachments (per some other posts).

If not, I hope someone at Microsoft is listening -- please bring your
contact management into the 21st century.

Thanks.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Nothing has changed. New Message to Contact is still available in Outlook
2007's Actions Menu. It's in the Create > flyout.

 

[James Jardine]

In outlook 2007, you can select a group of contacts and choose
Actions...Create...New Message to Contact From the main menu. This will
create an email to all of the selected contacts. More information can be
found at the below url.

http://www.sperrysoftware.com/Blog/index.php/2008/04/23/distribution-list-li
mitations-and-workarounds/

James

 

[Judy Gleeson \(MVP Outlook\)]

and as before, you can select any Contacts and drag to any email folder to
create a new message to all of them.

Regards

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook

www.judygleeson.com
www.deskdoctors.com
Want to be more productive? Outlook 2003 user? Read "7 settings all Outlook
2003 users should change" at www.pragmatix.com.au

 

[SimiKev]

Russ, James and Judy,

Wow, thanks!!!!! I hadn't tried dragging to the Mail folder just into a
blank mail message -- that certainly doesn't work. As for the Actions menu,
for some brain-dead reason I didn't even look in the Create sub-menu... doh!

Now, what about forwarding a message to a group of contacts without using a
DL??? Any obvious techniques I've been missing all these years in that
situation?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

No. This method only populates the To: field of a new message window. From
there you can cut and paste the group to another field or another message.
You might also want to consider whether other ways of grouping Contacts such
as separate folders might work better for you since you can access separate
folders in the address book view.