Color-Code Based on how You Were Addressed

One thing that I really regret cutting from my book was a discussion of how to color-code email based on how the sender addressed you. How the message was addressed -- TO you only, TO you and others, CC you, or BCC you -- is an very good clue to how likely it is that you will have to do something in response to the message. Color-coding your messages can help you see very quickly which messages you should pay attention to first.

To color-code:

1. Select the menu item View->Current View->Customize Current View.

2. Click on the Automatic Formatting button (lower left).

3. Click on the Add button.
4. Type in the name To Only Me in the Name field.
5. Click on the Condition button.
6. Click on the OK button.

7. Put a checkmark in the box labeled Where I am.
8. Select The only person on the To line from the menu that appears next to the Where I am checkbox,
9. Click on the OK button.

10. Click on the Font button.
11. Select Red from the color menu.
12. Click on the OK button.

Repeat steps 3-12 twice, but select On the To line with other people and On the CC line with other people in step 8 and choose different colors (I like blue and green) in step 11.

Messages where you are BCC'd (Blind Carbon Copied) will still show up in black.

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Kaitlin Duck Sherwood
Last updated 18 February 2003.