Netscape Messenger
Creating a Mailing List

A mailing list is a collection of email addresses for a group of people you regularly send mail to. When you address a message to the mailing list, everyone on the list gets a copy of the message.

Before attempting this task, it is advisable that you familiarize yourself with Using The Address Book (see menu under Level II). The members of a mailing list must all be in your Personal Address Book. Any name that isn't already there will be automatically copied there when you add it to a list.

To Create a mailing list:

  1. On the main Messenger window, click on Communicator on the Menu bar
  2. Choose Address Book from the drop menu; this will bring up the Address Book window, as shown here:


  1. On the Address Book window's Tool bar, click on the New List button; this will bring up the Mailing List form window 

    2. Note: The new version of Messenger no longer requires you to be in your Personal Address Book before you can click on New List. 
  1. Type a unique* name for the mailing list in the space at the top of the form
  2. Type a unique* nickname if you wish in the space below that
  3. Also optional: type a description of the list in the space provided

    4.  

     
     
     
     
     

    * Try to avoid names similar to established college-wide mail listsps, like "everyone" or "faculty."
     

    Note: You may use either the "List Name" or the "List Nickname" when addressing a message

To add a name to a name to the Mailing List:
either

  1. Type it in on the list, using this format: John Smith <jsmith@oakton.edu>
or drag and drop as shown below
  1. Position the Address Book & Mailing List windows so that both are visible
  2. Find the desired name/address in one of the directories in the Address Book window (see Using the Address Books for more information on searching for addresses)
  3. Use the mouse to drag the name/address from the Address Book to the Mailing List


When you've added all the names you wish, click on the OK button on the Mailing List window and close the Address Book window.

Your Mailing list will now show up in your personal address book.

If you wish to edit the members:

  1. On the main Messenger window, click on Communicator on the Menu bar
  2. Choose Address Book from the drop menu; this will bring up the Address Book window
  3. Find the name of the Mailing List in your Personal Address Book
  4. Find the name of your Mailing list and DOUBLE-click on it; the Mailing List window will open
  5. Add (using either of the previously described methods) or delete any names you wish
  6. Click on OK in the Mailing list window to exit.
With the advent of Messenger 4.5, it is now a simple method to add names to an existing list without opening the list, as in the above method. If, after doing an address search you wish to add a name:
  1. Click on the plus sign next to Personal Address Book so that the contents of the Book are expanded (do not click on the name of the Address Book itself as this will change the view)
  2. Drag the name/address from the search results list (right side of window) to the Mailing List you wish to append