G
GoBobbyGo
Outlook 2003
I use a lot of rules; I like having very few things actually go to my inbox.
Whenever my inbox message count goes back over 200, I do maintenance on my
rules to account for the messages I'm not categorizing.
But setting up the new rules and modifying the existing ones is like poking
myself in the eye! I sort the inbox by From and for each different person, I
decide whether I want to create a new rule for them or lump them into an
existing rule.
So next, of course, it's tools --> rules and alerts. This seems to be a
top-level window, and I can't seem to do anything else in Outlook outside of
this window. Is there a way around this? Is this a good thing?
New rules are generally the easiest, because I don't have to go looking for
anything. I create the rule, a few mouse clicks, and I'm done. But oops -
this person's address isn't in my address book yet. I have to close the
rules and alerts window, open the email (since I don't use the preview pane
for my inbox for security reasons), right click on the address and save it to
my address book, then go back to rules and alerts and create the rule.
Good Grief!
If I want to lump them into an existing rule, it's even MORE painful. I
have to do all of the above PLUS search through my several dozen rules to
find the one I'm looking for - I can't seem to sort, search or even resize
the rules and alerts window. Again, is there any way around this? Does
anyone think this is a good thing?
Repeat this a few dozen times, and a couple of hours are gone. If I could
have my inbox open (and operational) and rules and alerts at the same time,
and if I could sort and search rules and alerts, I could be done in 15
minutes.
Is there a better way to do this? By "do this", I mean have rules set up so
they go to specific folders I want them to go to, not any kind of grouping by
sender within the inbox or anything.
I use a lot of rules; I like having very few things actually go to my inbox.
Whenever my inbox message count goes back over 200, I do maintenance on my
rules to account for the messages I'm not categorizing.
But setting up the new rules and modifying the existing ones is like poking
myself in the eye! I sort the inbox by From and for each different person, I
decide whether I want to create a new rule for them or lump them into an
existing rule.
So next, of course, it's tools --> rules and alerts. This seems to be a
top-level window, and I can't seem to do anything else in Outlook outside of
this window. Is there a way around this? Is this a good thing?
New rules are generally the easiest, because I don't have to go looking for
anything. I create the rule, a few mouse clicks, and I'm done. But oops -
this person's address isn't in my address book yet. I have to close the
rules and alerts window, open the email (since I don't use the preview pane
for my inbox for security reasons), right click on the address and save it to
my address book, then go back to rules and alerts and create the rule.
Good Grief!
If I want to lump them into an existing rule, it's even MORE painful. I
have to do all of the above PLUS search through my several dozen rules to
find the one I'm looking for - I can't seem to sort, search or even resize
the rules and alerts window. Again, is there any way around this? Does
anyone think this is a good thing?
Repeat this a few dozen times, and a couple of hours are gone. If I could
have my inbox open (and operational) and rules and alerts at the same time,
and if I could sort and search rules and alerts, I could be done in 15
minutes.
Is there a better way to do this? By "do this", I mean have rules set up so
they go to specific folders I want them to go to, not any kind of grouping by
sender within the inbox or anything.