Open Another Person’s Mail

May 11 2005 05:00:00 AM Add/Read Comments [3]
In the blog entry Switch To Mail/Calendar/To Do I introduced the "Switcher" drop down available in your mail file, and explained it's most basic function.   Today I would like to cover one of the more advanced functions "Open Another Person's Mail".

When you click the down arrow next to "Mail", the following drop down menu appears.  You see the two "Switch to" options, plus the additional menu choice "Open Another Person's Mail".

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

Choosing this menu option brings you to the "Open Mail File" dialog box, where you first choose an address book to search, and next select the name of the person who's mail file you want to open.

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

Now that is handy, but what if you have a few mail files that you need to access on a regular basis?  For example, you are an administrative assistant handling multiple executives, or you work on a support team that monitors several shared mail files.  What if you could have them already listed for you?  Lotus Notes allows you to do this as shown below:

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

Populating this list is very easy.   In your mail file choose the action "Tools - Preferences"

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

In the Preferences dialog box switch to "Access & Delegation" and "Shortcuts to Others' Mail", then enter the full hierarchical name of people who's mail file you would like to access, then press OK.

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

Now of course just choosing a name does not guarantee you access to their mail!  Lotus Notes security requires that you be authorized to open the database.  If you attempt to open a mail file you do not have access to, you will receive the following error.

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail

I'll explain how to set up access (delegation) to your mail file in a future tip.

Note: The names you entered are also now accessible in the "Calendar" drop down.  Again, Notes security comes in to play, meaning you have to have access to the person's calendar to be able to open it.    Lotus Notes has a very powerful and granular security model, allowing you to configure different levels of access to your mail and to your calendar, and even allowing access to some calendar entries (public) and not others (private).   For example, your company's rules may allow everyone to view people's calendars, but not each other's mail.

Image:Open Another Person´s Mail