Distribution List & Contact Folder - Difference?

[serg.kr]

Outlook allows you to have contact folders and distribution lists. They seem
to serve a very similar purpose. What is the difference? How are they *meant*
to be used?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

A distribution list is a single data item, stored in a contacts folder, that contains a list of names and addresses. It contains no other information -- no phone numbers, no company names, no mailing addresses, etc.

DLs are quite useless, IMO, except for small, relatively static lists, such as peer colleagues or a committee whose membership changes only once a year. In those scenarios, you can send a message to everyone on the list by simply typing the name of the list into a message's To box.

The vastly more detailed information available in individual contact records in a contacts folder allows for reports, mail merges, searches, and other similar operations.

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

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[serg.kr]

Thanks for the reply.

However, you may have misunderstood me when I mentioned "contact folder". I
am referring not to a single contact, but a collection of contacts grouped
under a single folder. Specifically, it is what you obtain when you go under
New->Folder, and selecting "Contact Items" under the field labelled "Folder
contains:". Then, when mailing a new message, it is possible to navigate to
this folder and select the contacts you want to send the message to from the
list.

In my confusion, it appeared that these contact folders were essentially the
same thing as a distribution list. However, I played around with it a bit
more and I think I may understand the difference a bit better. It seems that
you cannot have the same contact in two different folders (at least I did not
figure out a way to do it since you cannot copy/paste contacts). Also, it is
much easier to send an email to a distribution list rather than all the
contacts in a contact folder.

Well, thanks for the help anyway. If you have any more tips, please post.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Your definition of contact folder is exactly the same as mine -- a folder containing individual contact records.

The problem with distribution lists is that they're difficult to keep up to date and cannot be used for mail merge. I'd rather keep all my contacts in one folder and distinguish them by categories and other property values.

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

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[serg.kr]

Oh, I see. Sorry about the confusion.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Brian Tillman]

In my confusion, it appeared that these contact folders were
essentially the same thing as a distribution list.

Contact folders contain contact items. DIstribution lists contact
name/address pairs.

However, I played
around with it a bit more and I think I may understand the difference
a bit better. It seems that you cannot have the same contact in two
different folders (at least I did not figure out a way to do it since
you cannot copy/paste contacts).

Not only can you have contact records all with the same name in multiple
folders, you can have multiple contacts with the same name in the SAME
contact folder.

Also, it is much easier to send an

email to a distribution list rather than all the contacts in a
contact folder.

I disagree. Select the contacts with click/ctrl-click or shift-click (or
group them my category and select the category), then click Actions>New
Message to Contact to send to all the contacts you've selected.

 

[Duane]

[Also, it is much easier to send an

email to a distribution list rather than all the contacts in a
contact folder.]

I disagree. Select the contacts with click/ctrl-click or shift-click (or
group them my category and select the category), then click Actions>New
Message to Contact to send to all the contacts you've selected.

That's easier? With my distribution lists, I simply start typing the first
couple letters of the DL title into the to/cc/bcc box, and it's ready to go.
I don't even have to bring up my contacts, much less click around like that.
Granted, I'm just an OE guy that got forced into Outlook when my employer
went to Exchange server, so meetings/tasks/sharing/etc. is lost on me. But
it seems (if contact folders are supposed to be all that) MS could at least
give contact folders the functionality the "useless" DLs have.