Select multiple contacts to bcc for forwarding a message.

[JEM]

In Hotmail I click on bcc to access my contacts/address book to forward
a message. How do I do this in gmail?

[burton...@gmail.com]

You cannot do it that way in Gmail.  You have to click CONTACTS in the left panel, next click GROUPS at the top of the next screen if you have forgotten the name of the group you want to insert into a gmail, then go to COMPOSE in the left panel again, insert whatever name you want to be seen in the TO field (such as your own), then click ADD BCC and begin typing the name of the group you want to go there.  A menu will pop up with that group name after you have typed the first few characters.  Just click on it and it will be inserted into the BCC field. - Wolfeman

[JEM]

Thanks, Wolfeman, for this insight. I do not send mails to
blocks...different subjects require cherry-picking names from the
contacts list. Is there a simple way to do this...for instance, as it
is done in Hotmail?

[Zack (Doc)]

https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6597&topic=1526

On 6/8/06, JEM <jemasq...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

[burton...@gmail.com]

The simple way is to put a check by each name in your contacts list that you want to send in a given e-mail, but all of them will show in the TO field.  If you want to use the BCC field so that each one is hidden from the others, and avoid grouping, so far as I have been able to determine you have to start typing each name that exists in the contacts list.  I find this very aggravating.  It's one of the faults of Gmail.  There should be a way to put a check by each contact and get all you have checked into BCC with one click, as it is done in Hotmail.  But if there is a way to do that in Gmail, I have yet to find it.  As long as you have your names in a group, you can get them into the BCC field all at once by just beginning to type the name of the group and clicking on the group name when it pops up from the menu provided.  But if you want to "cherry pick," as you put it, you are stuck with a Hobson's choice: get it all done with one click that puts all contacts in the TO field, or type the first few characters of each contact and click it on the menu while you are working in the BCC field.  - Wolfeman

[deke]

you guys have said all there is to say, and being a newbie, i can't
really add much to the discussion.... except that these types pf posts
are REALLY plentiful herein. i guess all we can do is wonder at why
Gmail would make such a glaring blunder, knowing how easy it is to
"insert" within other e-mail providers (Yahoo! is a no-brainer)...

of course we all need to go directly to the "help" section, and then to
the "suggestions" section, and let Google know, how annoying it is to
use their e-mail system.

i sorta think they know already (how can they not?)... i wonder why no
change has been made?

> ------=_Part_30660_9101399.1149826124839
> Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> X-Google-AttachSize: 2191
>
> The simple way is to put a check by each name in your contacts list that yo=
> u want to send in&nbsp;a given e-mail, but all of them will show in the TO =
> field.&nbsp; If you want to use the BCC field so that each one is hidden fr=
> om the others,&nbsp;and avoid grouping, so far as I have been able to deter=
> mine you have to start typing each name&nbsp;that exists&nbsp;in the contac=
> ts list.&nbsp; I find this very aggravating.&nbsp; It's one of the faults o=
> f Gmail.&nbsp; There should be a way to put a check by each contact and get=
> &nbsp;all you have checked&nbsp;into BCC&nbsp;with one click, as it is done=
> in Hotmail.&nbsp; But if there is a way to do that in Gmail, I have yet to=
> find it.&nbsp; As long as you have your names in a group, you can get them=
> into the BCC field all at once&nbsp;by just beginning to type the name of =
> the group and clicking on the group name when it pops up from the menu&nbsp=
> ;provided.&nbsp; But if you want to &quot;cherry pick,&quot; as you put it,=
> you are stuck with a Hobson's choice:&nbsp;get it all done with one click =
> that puts&nbsp;all contacts&nbsp;in the TO field, or type the first few cha=
> racters of each contact and click&nbsp;it on the menu&nbsp;while you are wo=
> rking in the BCC field.&nbsp;&nbsp;- Wolfeman
> <br><br>
> <div><span class=3D"gmail_quote">On 6/8/06, <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">Z=
> ack (Doc)</b> &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:za...@tnan.net">za...@tnan.net</a>&gt; wr=
> ote:</span>
> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0=
> px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><br><a href=3D"https://mail.goog=
> le.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=3D6597&amp;topic=3D1526">https://mail.g=
> oogle.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=3D6597&amp;topic=3D1526
> </a><br><br>On 6/8/06, JEM &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:jemasq...@gmail.com">je=
> masqu...@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Thanks, Wolfeman, for t=
> his insight.&nbsp;&nbsp;I do not send mails to<br>&gt; blocks...different s=

> ubjects require cherry-picking names from the

> <br>&gt; contacts list.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is there a simple way to do this...for i=
> nstance, as it<br>&gt; is done in Hotmail?<br>&gt;<br>&gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>=
> &gt;<br><br>
> ------=_Part_30660_9101399.1149826124839--

[Zack (Doc)]

It's actually easier to insert e-mails in GMail that it is in the
other providers, just different. So much easier that the other
providers are starting to do it GMail's way (My Yahoo account now has
auto-complete). All you do is start typing and you get everyone in
your book who has those letters in their name/e-mail. I add 20 people
to an e-mail now faster than I ever could with a pop-up box of names.
Sure it's different from what I knew, but in this case different is
better, I just had to get used to it.

Calling this difference a "blunder" and suggesting they change it, to
me, is poor judgement. This method was advertised as a feature before
you even joined GMail. It's like walking into a bar and calling the
serving of Alcohol a blunder and suggesting they change it... You
should have known it coming in the door. You failing to read the
provided information is no reason to call their choices wrong.

And back to my main pet peeve (not directed at you deke, just
borrowing this post to state it again)... people act like they've been
FORCED to use GMail. Of course if you generally like the system and
want to use it, but have a feature/problem you want addressed, please
suggest it. But people come in here complaining of how "X feature is
going to drive them away if it isn't changed". OK... Bye... You're
not forced to use this system and if a particular feature is
problematic enough for you to feel you need to leave, then do so.

[Tank]

I've been using gmail now for as long as I can remember (back when you could only invite 10 people), and have never had a complaint with the service, the functionality, or the price :)

It's all about changing your behavior to adapt to the functionality provided by the provider. I don't "email" people, I "gmail" them. Gmail has become a verb in my vocabulary.

I agree, don't like the way it works? Go back to yahoo.

(Sorry, I don't want to start a flame war, but had to throw in my $.02)

Tim

[mikerrtx]

After checking names and clicking Compose, you could cut the names from
the To field and paste them in the BCC field. It's not ideal, but
doesn't seem like a big deal.

Mike

> ubjects require cherry-picking names from the

[burton...@gmail.com]

Note that Mike has added another method to the method I outlined (a long time ago it seems).  Indeed, you can put a check mark by your existing contacts and get them into the TO field quickly, then highlight them and copy and paste them into the BCC field.  I have done it that way when there are not many names involved, and it works fine.  If you have a lot of names in he TO field, however, you are going to find that this method is not easy, and one slip and you will omit some of your contacts. By the way, Zack, I did not mean to seem to be a complainer and ingrate.  I use G-mail to supplement my MSN Mail and Comcast Mail systems, it is free, I am grateful to have it, I appreciate it, and I love this G-mail Users group. - Wolfeman 

[Zack (Doc)]

Wolfe, I appologize if you thought I meant you as well. Like the
priest complaining near the end of Mass about people leaving in the
middle, most of what I said was preaching to the choir. The vast
majority of people in this group, especially the ones who post a lot,
aren't the kind of people I'm talking about. I'm talking about the
occasional posters we get in here, thinking they're starting some
major revolution, and hoping to get Google's attention through a wild
post, not realizing they're posting only to other users.

Unlike Carly Simon's hit "You're so vain", If you thought this post
was about you, it probably wasn't. :)

[AnalEyes]

JEM, deke, and others

As GMail doesn't provide the similar familiar interface of some other
web-mails or email clients, one has to use any of several effective
workarounds ---

1. GMail's default is the auto-complete feature where, once you type in
a letter, all names and or email addresses beginning (or, containing)
with that letter shows up in a drop-down box. So you can easily fill-in
the recipients' addresses. This is the fastest way to fill in
recipients' addresses whether in composing or forwarding modes.

Please note that this was mainly intended to hamper spammers. A spammer
may not know the names and email addresses of his intended victims,
whereas you would know the names (if not the email addresses) of your
recipients, who would normally be your friends, family, relatives,
close acquaintances, and colleagues.

2. Whether using Firefox, IE, or any other browser, you could always
open up another tab or window, and open up another instance of your
GMail account. In this, you could go to your Contacts list, and keep it
open and choose (copy-paste) your recipients from that list.

3. You can 'group' your Contacts in Groups, like Friends, Family,
Relatives, Colleagues, etc. and then choose just the group you would
want to mail to. You may have the same contact in multiple groups, like
Jokes, News, Sports, etc., and also choose the groups depending on the
type of messages.

4. You may do a workaround using GMail's auto-complete feature by
prefixing each name with a same or similar symbols, viz. you may prefix
* in front of all names so that when you enter * all your contacts will
be visible in the drop-down box. You may also use a combination of
prefixes of ** for family, *+ for friends, *# for colleagues, *& for
relations, etc.

One just needs an attitude to learn, un-learn, and re-learn in today's
age. Clinging to "this is how I always did it" wouldn't help ... one
needs to grow beyond their self-imposed shackles. Zack (Doc)'s post was
excellent.

[burton...@gmail.com]

No apology called for, Zack.  I figured your message was aimed at all the nitpickers, and, since I got caught (my fault) in a particular crossfire, I just wanted you to know I am not one of them.  You know, all this to-do in G-mail Users is about problems that pale into insignificance compared to the madness you read about every day in the newspapers and see on tv.  Of course the subjects are important to anybodyusing G-mail and related systems. But it helps to keep the particular cause of complaint in perspective.  Ongoing thanks to you, by the way, for all the free lessons we get from you.  -  Burton (aka Wolfeman)

[Chad Carisch]

go to all contacts

--
Chad Carisch