Bulk load contacts into MSN / Windows Messenger

Hi,

Is it possible to bulk load a set of contacts from a file? Basically,
in college, we need to communicate with each other over MSN messenger
and its unnecessarily repetitive to have every person add a whole set
of contacts. Is the

(a) any program / way by which I can have a file with MSN ids / email
addresses and then load it into Messenger, and
(b) a way to automatically create a group and load it into that

I'm a CS guy, so feel free to throw me pointers to some code that might
help... a readymade program would rock, but I'll settle for less...

Thanks,
Sid

You could always have a master account with all the contacts and just
export it to a ctt file, then have new people import that ctt file into
their account.

Scøtt
Live Messenger FAQs - http://wlm.scottisafool.co.uk/

wrote:
Hi,

Is it possible to bulk load a set of contacts from a file? Basically,
in college, we need to communicate with each other over MSN messenger
and its unnecessarily repetitive to have every person add a whole set
of contacts. Is the

(a) any program / way by which I can have a file with MSN ids / email
addresses and then load it into Messenger, and
(b) a way to automatically create a group and load it into that

I'm a CS guy, so feel free to throw me pointers to some code that might
help... a readymade program would rock, but I'll settle for less...

Thanks,
Sid

Greetings,

Well, you can use the .CTT format that was introduced in the early versions of MSN Messenger
(click the Contacts menu, then Save Contact List and just examine the format in Notepad --
it's just a standard XML-based format).

However, the user has to manually click the Contacts, Import option and the format doesn't
support groups.

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2006 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--

wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi,

Is it possible to bulk load a set of contacts from a file? Basically,
in college, we need to communicate with each other over MSN messenger
and its unnecessarily repetitive to have every person add a whole set
of contacts. Is the

(a) any program / way by which I can have a file with MSN ids / email
addresses and then load it into Messenger, and
(b) a way to automatically create a group and load it into that

I'm a CS guy, so feel free to throw me pointers to some code that might
help... a readymade program would rock, but I'll settle for less...

Thanks,
Sid

I ordered the Uniden win1200 phone, new to messenger, trying to import a
simple list of 100 contacts from outlook local file. amazing after all these
years this is still not integrated, 10 years ago, I was able to use a simple
import list with the Windows cordless phone and win 3.1. I might return the
device if this is where federation ends. (just venting a bit, thought this
would be cleaner)

"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" wrote:

Greetings,

Well, you can use the .CTT format that was introduced in the early versions of MSN Messenger
(click the Contacts menu, then Save Contact List and just examine the format in Notepad --
it's just a standard XML-based format).

However, the user has to manually click the Contacts, Import option and the format doesn't
support groups.

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2006 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--

wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi,

Is it possible to bulk load a set of contacts from a file? Basically,
in college, we need to communicate with each other over MSN messenger
and its unnecessarily repetitive to have every person add a whole set
of contacts. Is the

(a) any program / way by which I can have a file with MSN ids / email
addresses and then load it into Messenger, and
(b) a way to automatically create a group and load it into that

I'm a CS guy, so feel free to throw me pointers to some code that might
help... a readymade program would rock, but I'll settle for less...

Thanks,
Sid

Hi,

It's true. Microsoft has had some really good integration stories in the past but as of the
last 5 years or so has progressively gotten worse probably due to new legal constraints and a
new focus on so-called "security". It's a real shame.

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2006 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--

"Lon Par" Lon wrote in message
...
I ordered the Uniden win1200 phone, new to messenger, trying to import a
simple list of 100 contacts from outlook local file. amazing after all these
years this is still not integrated, 10 years ago, I was able to use a simple
import list with the Windows cordless phone and win 3.1. I might return the
device if this is where federation ends. (just venting a bit, thought this
would be cleaner)

"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" wrote:

Greetings,

Well, you can use the .CTT format that was introduced in the early versions of MSN
Messenger
(click the Contacts menu, then Save Contact List and just examine the format in Notepad --
it's just a standard XML-based format).

However, the user has to manually click the Contacts, Import option and the format doesn't
support groups.

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2006 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--

wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi,

Is it possible to bulk load a set of contacts from a file? Basically,
in college, we need to communicate with each other over MSN messenger
and its unnecessarily repetitive to have every person add a whole set
of contacts. Is the

(a) any program / way by which I can have a file with MSN ids / email
addresses and then load it into Messenger, and
(b) a way to automatically create a group and load it into that

I'm a CS guy, so feel free to throw me pointers to some code that might
help... a readymade program would rock, but I'll settle for less...

Thanks,
Sid