Q:
I'm switching ISPs and want to take my contacts with me. Is there a way to do this?

A:
There is, of course, the tedious method of printing out your address book and re-entering all the info, but I like to save time whenever I can.

Many web-based email address books have the option to import/export contacts into an Outlook (.CVS) or Netscape (LDIF) address book file. But if yours does not, or if you are migrating to another web-based email, here is an easy little trick.

NOTE: Since every web-based email site is unique, these general procedures may need modification.

Go to the address book of your web-based email account. Choose all of your personal contacts as the recipient of an email then click COMPOSE .

Highlight and CUT (CTRL+X) addresses from the TO box, then PASTE (CTLR+V) into body of the email. Put each address on its own line (in other words, delete the commas and hit ENTER ). Change the recipient to your NEW email address and you are ready to SEND .

Seconds later you will receive an email containing all of your contact email addresses. There are as many ways of transferring these addresses as there are programs and web-based email sites.

In Outlook, you can just right click each address and add to your new address book.

You may need to play around to find out how to add contacts from the body of an email to your new web-based email address book. You might need to copy each address from the body of the email then paste into the address book. Whatever the process, at least you have the address list to work with.