Gmail contacts strategies

[MrGibbage]

I am trying to clean up my address book, and I really want to do it right, once and for all. So post your favorite tips and tricks here. Things you wouldn't think of. Here's a couple of mine:

1. Think very carefully about how you want to store your names--FirstName LastName or Lastname, FirstName. I recommend that you stick with the slightly unconventional FirstName LastName because whenever google adds a new contact to your list, it gets the name from the "From" field in the email. Virtually everyone fills that out FirstName LastName. You don't want to have some one way and some the other way.

2. Remember, google will only let you have one contact for any given email address except the blank address, for which you can have as many as you want. Add entries for the contact for which you have only phone numbers, but you can also add entries for frequent flyer numbers, less secure passwords, etc.

What else do you do with you contact list?

[bizarro_stormy]

nice post idea, i cant wait to hear some tips b/c i started doing this as well.

[she a g e e]

I know that the contacts on the phone integrates the use of groups.

So, if it'll help at all to help break down your contacts, so when going through contacts (especially when there are plentiful amounts) try to see if you can make up distinguished groups, i.e. family, friends, co-workers etc.

[MrGibbage]

I was wondering about that. I have been careful about adding my contacts to groups, and you can add a contact to more than one group (a Very Good Thing).

[bizarro_stormy]

i just created a group called "G1" and i'm migrating people I want brought in to that group. Hopefully thats how it will work and i'll only import that group...

[CodyD]

do anyone know if the pictures will transfer wkth the contacts from our gmail contacts as well? Or do we have to upload a new pic after there on the phone?

[insight spinner]

I already have some groups set up, so I will work on that. I'm glad you posted this. I saved out my contacts in csv last night and once I finish a task I should spend some time getting contacts together. thanx!

[jgoldy15]

I have made sure that my contacts are all up to date in Gmail. I have read in the manual where you can import your SIM contacts, however I hope it does not automatically import them all and duplicate all of my contacts.

[MrGibbage]

I am editing my contacts in excel. I have found that I have a lot of duplicate entries and it's a lot easier to merge the data in excel than copy-n-paste in the g-contact app. But I did find one limitation--it doesn't seem that you can import into the categories/groups. You can choose ONE group to dump all your contacts into upon import, but you can't tag individual entries within the spreadsheet, thinking they'll automatically pop into the correct categories. Bummer.

[*susan*]

do anyone know if the pictures will transfer wkth the contacts from our gmail contacts as well? Or do we have to upload a new pic after there on the phone?

Cody, when I uploaded mine, pictures did not transfer. I had to add the pictures in gmail. Perhaps someone will come up with a workaround for this.