Email Message Filtering

Email filtering is available almost all popular email clients.  Email filtering allows a user to take control of mail sorting and allows an easier way to manage ones mail.  Select the appropriate program for quick steps for sorting email.

Netscape Messenger - Version 4.7
Pegasus - Version 3.1
Microsoft Outlook 2000
Microsoft Outlook Express - Version 5

Netscape Messenger version 4.7 (included w/ Netscape Communicator 4.7x)

To access the message filtering capabilities of Netscape Messenger you need to select the Edit menu and then the Message Filters... item.  The following window will appear:

Adding and removing message filters is controlled by this simple interface.  The order in which messages are sent through the filters you specify is also important.  For example incoming messages could be sorted depending on their subject line but an exclusion can be made for a single sender.  The order in which the filters are processed will make all the difference.  Keep in mind that multiple filters can be used.

As the above window shows the message filter moves any message that is from either Johnh@bee.net or rusw@bee.net into the John & Rus folder of my messenger window.  This allows the user to collocate the message into a separate area for easy access.

As above illustrates, the message filter has been added to the listing of filters.  The blue check mark in the upper left hand corner of the listing shows that it is active.  Filters can be activated or deactivated by clicking the check.  Messages that have been filtered will stay where they were sorted too.  There is currently no "undoing" of message filters.  Message filters only filter incoming mail.

Above is another filter to be established.  This message filter moves any message containing the text "important" or "emergency" or "read this" or "virus" into a special folder.  Since this filter should be the highest priority we need to resort the message filters so this one processes before all other filters.  Clicking OK will save your changes.

Above there are two message filters active now.  Clicking OK will save your changes.  The "Subject" filter was moved up in the listing so it will be executed first.  This ensures that incoming messages are checked against the criteria set in the Subject filter first.  If a match is made for the Subject (i.e. if it contains the keywords "important" or "emergency" or "read this" or "virus") then the message will be moved into the Special folder and will never be processed by the next filter, the Rus and John filter.  If the subject does not contain any of the keywords then it will be processed by the next filter in the listing, in this case the Rus or John filter.  If the message is from Rus or John the message will be moved to the specified folder.  If it is not from either of them, the message will be placed in the Inbox since no more filters exist.

Microsoft Outlook Express version 5

To access the message filtering capabilities of Outlook Express 5 you need to select the Tools menu and then the Message Rules submenu and then the Mail... item.  The following window will appear:

Adding new message filters is controlled by this simple interface.  In the Conditions item box you will see a listing of certain rules that can be activated.  To activate/deactivate rules simply click on their respective boxes.  In the Actions box, box 2, you will see the command or actions you wish to place on the message.  In this case if the subject line contains either rus@bee.net or johnh@bee.net then the message will be moved into the John & Rus folder.  With Outlook Express you specify the commands and actions you wish to take place, and then set the criteria with witch the rules are checked against.  In box 3, by clicking on the blue underlined text the properties for the specific rules are displayed.  By clicking on the "contains people" text the following window will appear:

By adding John@bee.net and rus@bee.net to the list of email address that apply to this rule, any email from rus@bee.net or john@bee.net will be sorted.  Click OK to save changes.

Now the folder for the mail to go to must be selected.  By clicking "specified" folder text the following window will appear:

Select the folder in Outlook Express to where the mail is to be moved.  In this case the messages will move to the Rus & John folder.  Click OK

Don't forget to name your rule in box 4.  Clicking OK will save your changes.

You can modify your email settings at anytime.  The Message Rules submenu under the Tools menu will display a listing of the current email settings.  Also note that blocking specific email addresses and also news groups can be filtered using similar rules as well.  Also note that clicking the Apply Now... button will perform the rules on existing or mail you already downloaded before implementing the rule.

Microsoft Outlook 2000

To access the message filtering capabilities of Outlook 2000 you need to select the Tools menu and then the Rules Wizard... item.  The following window will appear:

Above you can add, duplicate, modify, remove, and rename your rules.  Since no messages filters currently exist clicking New... will create a new rule.  The following window will appear:

Since we are creating message rule that sorts mail based on the sender we need to select the appropriate type of rule from the listing.  Click next.

Specifying the options you want to check for on email messages is shown above.  There is a large listing of different attributes you can check against, but the rule we are creating will just check who sends the message.  Check the appropriate box.  The 2nd box contains the criteria for each rule.  By clicking on the blue underlined text the properties for the specific rules are displayed.  By clicking on the "people or distribution list" text the following window will appear:

Since Outlook 2000 has a powerful address book it is also incorporated into adding email addresses to mail filters.  If you have a current address book you should see your contacts above.  In this case there are currently no contacts in our address book.  You can add new ones by clicking New... .  Once you have completed adding the email addresses of senders click OK.

The next step is to choose which folder the mail is to be moved to.  Clicking on the "specified" folder link another window will appear as follows: