How do I Forward a message to a List?
Sending a message to a List only works when you start with the Address Book window. In that case you select the List in the left panel, which causes all the individual addresses in the list to appear in the right panel. Then you select all the individual addresses in the right panel, and right-click on them, and select "write". This puts all the individual addresses into "To" fields in a new, blank message. But what about when you already have a message you want to Forward, or Edit as New? In that case you are not starting with the Address Book window, you only have access to the Contacts panel in the Write window. If you select the List in the Contacts panel, and add it to the "To" field, it only adds the name of the list, which Thunderbird informs you is not a valid email address. How do I Forward a message to a List?
Chosen solution
does the list name have a space in it? Remove it to bypass a bug in Version 31
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try pressing F9 to turn on the contact side bar in the compose window and enjoy a whole new set of functionality (your address book in the compose window)
Thank you Matt, but I already spoke of that. I referred to it as "the Contacts panel in the Write window". It does not have the desired functionality. It is not the same as "your address book in the compose window". The Address window has two panels; the Contact side bar has only one. And that apparently makes it impossible to send to a List, as I described.
In principle, you just insert the List as if it was a single Contact. Thunderbird will (should!) see to it that it is expanded to all of its constituent Contacts on sending.
Which version of Thunderbird are you using? Lists appear to be a bit broken in TB31, giving rise to the symptoms you describe. It's fixed in TB32, or you could go back to TB24. It may behave better if you remove any spaces from the names of your Lists, and also from their descriptions fields, if used. However, I'm using TB31 and don't see the issue with Lists that you and others report. But then I don't have any spaces or descriptions.
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/
I'm with Matt; the Address Book is a bad place to start from when creating a message. Your starting point should be, IMHO, the Write window, where you have a new message or a reply or a forward. Then you add addresses to it. The most efficient way, for the way my brain works, is to start typing and use auto completion. The Contacts Sidebar is there for those who prefer a more visual mode of operation.
I do hope you don't send to all of your correspondents using "To:". Do you know for sure they don't mind you sharing their addresses with one another?
Think about using Bcc:, maybe.
http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/10_Thunderbirds_Address_Book.html
Modified by Zenos
Thank you Zenos, but when I insert the List as if it was a single Contact, and click Send, Thunderbird gives me this error message: "<"(my list name)"> is not a valid e-mail address because it is not of the form user@host. You must correct it before sending the e-mail." Alas, Thunderbird DOES NOT "see to it that it is expanded to all of its constitutent Contacts on sending." I earnestly wish that it did. How do I make it do so?
Chosen Solution
does the list name have a space in it? Remove it to bypass a bug in Version 31
Matt and Zenos, thanks for your help. The upgrade from 31.1.0 to 31.1.1 resolved the issue, and gave me the required functionality from the Contacts sidebar in the compose window. I can't verify it now, but it was probably the bug that Matt referred to, caused by spaces in the List name. Many thanks, and I will make it a point to put the recipients in Bcc, Zenos. Good tip. :)
my guess is yes as that bug was one of the few fixes in 3.1.1