Contacts and Accounts Questions

Yes I did a thread search.
My knowledge / understanding of this is limited.
I did read how to link a contact to a specific account with the latest OS.

On my Z10 I have 4 Accounts,
Local
Live (main live email account set up to rlace the BB account)
Family PC
SIM.

I assume that contacts can be linked with any or all of the above accounts.

My Contacts are linked to a real mix of accounts, some to one others to multiple.

Why link contacts to certain accounts?

Can I get away with only 1 or 2 accounts?
Trade offs?

If a contact is linked to several accounts can I unlink some?

Answers and suggestions are welcome.
Keep it basic

I am not sure I follow, but here goes nothing.

Each account you add may be a source of contacts. Each social account can sync your contacts into the device. If you have LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook and two email accounts and the same person as a contact in all five accounts, you'll end up with five listings for that person. That' where linking contacts comes in handy. You link the five versions of the same person into one contact, with all the data on that individual.

You can unlink any entry at any given time.

In Contacts > Settings you get the option to select which accounts actually show contacts at all in the Contacts app. If for example, you disable Twitter, uninked twitter contacts won't show. Linked ones will, because they are not twitter contacts - they are the sum of all contact entries.

Let me know if I missed something!

I am really digging deep into this, but could not get enough right answers even outside of CB/BB. My understanding so far is

Any device (Mobile/Computer) has local contacts. They are hard punched or imported from SD cards, SIM, CSV files etc. Similar is cloud based. It maybe either outlook/gmail or a third party contact management service like Contact+. If an email is composed in gmail, the email id is stored as a contact. So these devices/cloud servers have their own list of contacts pertaining to particular user ID.

Next all these devices and services have the ability to connect to other devices/services to get a list of contacts and display them for you. Z10 can connect to both services (Facebook) and device (Macbook Air) and display the contact for you. IMO first they are just displayed so that it will be used for posting a status or viewing contact details. The important here is these contacts are just linked to your device or service. Say if your friend changes Facebook profile picture, automatically your Z10 will show the new picture.

Next the device or cloud service can link different contacts and show them to you as one integrated contact. Thus you got the link/unlink button in BB10 OS. This ability is truly depends upon the device software or cloud services algorithms. I have personally seen this. I have imported contacts from gmail to outlook. Out of 135 contacts, outlook displayed me 15 pairs to link. Then I went back to Gmail and used their merge option, and it has detected only 3 pairs. Also like BB10, they may merge the contacts without asking you.

The real problem starts when you start editing these contacts. If you edit a linked contact, how various devices/servers are updated or not updated is real mess. Maybe each scenario needs to be checked. One website instructed not to touch these non-local contacts, as they are managed by their owners. Like your friend maintain his facebook profile OR you maintain a contact database in your computer.

My question and only probable solution shall be,
If I link various contacts in my Macbook to show me an integrated contact and if that Mac is connected to my Z10 (via BB Link), what was shown in my Z10 under Macbook account is original Macbook Contact or Integrated Macbook contact?
If I do the same in Outlook.com People management and link to Z10, what was shown in my Z10 under Outlook is integrated or basic?
If it is an integrated one, then I should manage contacts only in one location. Import (not link) all contacts to that one location, delete duplicates, link and merge at one location. Delete all local contact on other devices and de-active contact linking for all services. In all devices, point to the master location only and get all the contacts.

But currently I don't see any option of pointing to my Macbook from Outlook.com. So it seems that cloud services pointing to devices is not possible. Thus you have to manage them in cloud and point other devices to that cloud location.

the only catch will be whether the cloud service will allow you to edit the contact remotely?

Woah woah woah, slow down, you got some of it wrong... Not sure how my reply didn't cover your OP, but here goes for the 2nd post. :)

Originally Posted by KingOfQwerty

I am really digging deep into this, but could not get enough right answers even outside of CB/BB. My understanding so far is:

Any device (Mobile/Computer) has local contacts. They are hard punched or imported from SD cards, SIM, CSV files etc. Similar is cloud based. It maybe either outlook/gmail or a third party contact management service like Contact+. If an email is composed in gmail, the email id is stored as a contact. So these devices/cloud servers have their own list of contacts pertaining to particular user ID.

Right. Once you add your accounts/sync with a computer, those contacts are SAVED to your device into the internal memory. They are for all porpuses local contacts. The thing here is, some of the (email/social media) get OTA sync while other (BB Link/Computer) get wired sync and some (directly punched in/SIM imported) don't sync with anything and can be lost if the device data is wiped. But you got the "ID" but wrong. There is no ID to sync with anything. Each contact remains where they should and that's that - no BBID is used here for anything.

Also, the device does not create new contacts for each person you get an email from. It does though create a database. An easy list of emails addresses, based on the emails it has received. Wipe the device and that is all gone. No ID stores that data anywhere.

Next all these devices and services have the ability to connect to other devices/services to get a list of contacts and display them for you. Z10 can connect to both services (Facebook) and device (Macbook Air) and display the contact for you. IMO first they are just displayed so that it will be used for posting a status or viewing contact details. The important here is these contacts are just linked to your device or service. Say if your friend changes Facebook profile picture, automatically your Z10 will show the new picture.

Again, the contacts are synced on a timely basis with the servers. It sure as heck isn't automatic. But yes, changes will sync. But not like you made it look like ("Diego has a new image! Quickly now! Update his contact before the user notices!"). The MacBook Air isn't a service. Either you sync using BB Link - and then it only updates stuff when you plug the device to the Air - or you managed to get iCloud contacts to sync - then you're syncing both the Air and the BB10 phone to the iCloud servers.

Next the device or cloud service can link different contacts and show them to you as one integrated contact. Thus you got the link/unlink button in BB10 OS. This ability is truly depends upon the device software or cloud services algorithms. I have personally seen this. I have imported contacts from gmail to outlook. Out of 135 contacts, outlook displayed me 15 pairs to link. Then I went back to Gmail and used their merge option, and it has detected only 3 pairs. Also like BB10, they may merge the contacts without asking you.

Again, not quite. It has nothing to do with the contact source. BB10 takes the names and email addresses and tries to match them. That's why some times it gets it right (both name and email match), some times not so right (some data doesn't match). This is particularly annoying with LinkedIn, where people add all sorts of stuff to their names - ITIL, PMP, MsC, PQP, WTH. So even if all ther other fields match, the mismatching name messes autolinking up. It is supposed to do the linking automatically. But since there is a chance of getting it wrong (and I've seen it do it), it prefers "to slack on the side of caution". But it is all done in the device. Again, you have to keep in mind that it is SYNCing the data: changes on the original source get pushed to your phone.

The real problem starts when you start editing these contacts. If you edit a linked contact, how various devices/servers are updated or not updated is real mess. Maybe each scenario needs to be checked. One website instructed not to touch these non-local contacts, as they are managed by their owners. Like your friend maintain his facebook profile OR you maintain a contact database in your computer.

It's fairly easy to know what gets updates or not: Social contacts WON'T get updated. You can't change their data. Pediod. The services don't allow for that. Synced coontacts (email/BB Link) will get updated properly. Local contacts will get updated properly. You're really overthinking all this stuff and missing the obvious bits.

One thing though. Link is still hardly over a year old and it is KNOWN for not doing contact sync well. It is possible that an updated contact (on the device) can get data overwritten by an old, outdate copy that was on the computer. Possible. I am not saying it happens. I don't even use Link.


My question and only probable solution shall be,
If I link various contacts in my Macbook to show me an integrated contact and if that Mac is connected to my Z10 (via BB Link), what was shown in my Z10 under Macbook account is original Macbook Contact or Integrated Macbook contact?

I think you're expecting this device to work way too closer with your MacBook than it was supposed to. I strongly suggest you add your social and email accounts to your device and just let it sync the data.

But let's say you have contacts in the computer you must have on the device: Add them to one of your email accounts that is already syncing contacts. Then just merge the contacts as you see fit (on the phone).

If I do the same in Outlook.com People management and link to Z10, what was shown in my Z10 under Outlook is integrated or basic?

The Z10 will sync the contacts with the info they have on Outlook. But keep in mind that just because you have Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn active on outlook.com it doesn't mean the data will merge and sync to the Z10. It will probably get the plain Outlook contact. I suggest doing as I said above.

If it is an integrated one, then I should manage contacts only in one location.

YES! 110% Agree! I suggest the phone lol! Have one email that will hold the bulk of the data but do the linking of the verious sources in the device.

Import (not link) all contacts to that one location, delete duplicates, link and merge at one location. Delete all local contact on other devices and de-active contact linking for all services. In all devices, point to the master location only and get all the contacts.

No, you're over complicating. You'll end up with a heck of a mess if you keep up this route. You'll have hundreds of redundant data being synced over and over to your Z10 from multiple sources.

But currently I don't see any option of pointing to my Macbook from Outlook.com. So it seems that cloud services pointing to devices is not possible. Thus you have to manage them in cloud and point other devices to that cloud location.

We're not a Mac comunity. You may wanna check iMore. Again, I think you don't need Link for any of this.

the only catch will be whether the cloud service will allow you to edit the contact remotely?

So here is what I would do if I were you:

1. Pick ONE email to be the default contact sync place;
2. Remove that email from the Z10 and put the phone aside for the remainder of the steps;
3. Remove the social accounts from the Z10;
4. Import the contacts on the MacBook into that email;
5. Merge/edit/delete to your hearts content - JUST the MacBook and the "local" email contacts;
6. (OPTIONAL) If you're using Gmail, add profile pictures to them - not sure it Outlook.com will sync but Gmail does;
7. If you want, you can import your LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook contacts into that email account too, but only to create "placeholders" to make it easier to sync when you get to the device;
8. Merge/edit/delete to your hearts content one last time;
9. Add the email account to your Z10;
10. Add social accounts to the Z10.

After the contacts sync (from both email and social accounts) go ahead and link the ones the Z10 missed. From that point on, if you edit a contact it will sync the changes to your email's copy of the contact. It is a two way sysn system. If you edit a contact in the email (say, Gmail Contacts) it will push the change to your device.

As i said before, don't expect to change anything but that. You can't change a person's Facebook name or LinkedIn's profession. Those bits of data will only change if and when the owner of the profile updates his info.

So seriously, take a tep back and a deep breath. You're making this a much more complicated issue than it actually is. DO post back if you have more issues or doubts you need covered!

PS: Are you on 10.2.1? You can pick where new contacts are saved to on that version. If so, I strongly suggest choosing the "default contact sync place" from step 1.

Thanks
You clearly answered my questions
Now I know

I have my contacts messed up too.

A few say additional contact information.

When you unlink a contact from another does it unlink all contacts or what all happens.

What are some of the known issues with Link

Is there any way of knowing which part of the contact info comes from which source.

Can you have a contact on outlook.com and not a local contact?

Welcome to the forums!

Originally Posted by WestNileCrocodile

I have my contacts messed up too.

Sad to hear it. Check my posts here and see if following my suggestions can't get you where you wanna be!

A few say additional contact information.

When you unlink a contact from another does it unlink all contacts or what all happens.

It unlinks as many contacts you tell the OS to, it is a manual operation. If you have a contact that is in fact 4 different contacts, you'll have to unlink each of them manually.

What are some of the known issues with Link

Besides not linking what it should and linking what it shouldn't? None really. One annoying thing though is that if phone numbers aren't exactly the same throughout the sources (FB - +01-555-0555, Linkedin 0+01-555-0555 for example) the device will pile them on as different numbers. It is annoying but if you think about it, it is the right thing to do. It would be nice though it if did a backwards check (is the last number the same? and the one before it? And so on...).

Is there any way of knowing which part of the contact info comes from which source.

No. You'd have to unlink them all and check each source to see what it is bringing in.

Can you have a contact on outlook.com and not a local contact?

OK, tricky question! Answer is all contacts are local to the device independent of the source. Some contacts are in sycn to online services (such as Outlook.com). Those contacts are handled as <source sync> contacts. What I mean is: all info is stored in the device once it is pulled down. BUT <sync> contact will never be lost unless you manually go and delete them. Wiping the device will not make you lose them so, while the are indeed "local", they original source is always safe and changes to the copy in the device gets pushed to the ones online (in your case, Outlool.com).

In laymen's terms: Yes, you can have outlook.com only and no local contacts.

Originally Posted by diegonei

Woah woah woah, slow down, you got some of it wrong... Not sure how my reply didn't cover your OP, but here goes for the 2nd post. :)



So here is what I would do if I were you:

1. Pick ONE email to be the default contact sync place;
2. Remove that email from the Z10 and put the phone aside for the remainder of the steps;
3. Remove the social accounts from the Z10;
4. Import the contacts on the MacBook into that email;
5. Merge/edit/delete to your hearts content - JUST the MacBook and the "local" email contacts;
6. (OPTIONAL) If you're using Gmail, add profile pictures to them - not sure it Outlook.com will sync but Gmail does;
7. If you want, you can import your LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook contacts into that email account too, but only to create "placeholders" to make it easier to sync when you get to the device;
8. Merge/edit/delete to your hearts content one last time;
9. Add the email account to your Z10;
10. Add social accounts to the Z10.

After the contacts sync (from both email and social accounts) go ahead and link the ones the Z10 missed. From that point on, if you edit a contact it will sync the changes to your email's copy of the contact. It is a two way sysn system. If you edit a contact in the email (say, Gmail Contacts) it will push the change to your device.

As i said before, don't expect to change anything but that. You can't change a person's Facebook name or LinkedIn's profession. Those bits of data will only change if and when the owner of the profile updates his info.

So seriously, take a tep back and a deep breath. You're making this a much more complicated issue than it actually is. DO post back if you have more issues or doubts you need covered!

PS: Are you on 10.2.1? You can pick where new contacts are saved to on that version. If so, I strongly suggest choosing the "default contact sync place" from step 1.

Thanks a ton. It cleared almost all the doubts.
Just a few left.

1. I will use outlook.com which is just created and not yet added to Z10. But what I should do with my current gmail and yahoo account linked with Z10. Remove or leave?
2. I should connect social accounts in outlook.com but should not link them with outlook's local contact. Am I right?
3. How to re-connect gmail and yahoo only for email and not for contact? (after this housekeeping)

Originally Posted by KingOfQwerty

Thanks a ton. It cleared almost all the doubts.
Just a few left.

1. I will use outlook.com which is just created and not yet added to Z10. But what I should do with my current gmail and yahoo account linked with Z10. Remove or leave?

Up to you. Here is what I'd do: Use the new Outlook.com account to sync contacts and set both gmail and yahoo for email only (disable the contact sync).

2. I should connect social accounts in outlook.com but should not link them with outlook's local contact. Am I right?

Where? Where is that? I don't have Outlook.com syncing to my Z10 so I can't tell what happens.

3. How to re-connect gmail and yahoo only for email and not for contact? (after this housekeeping)

Ok, running out of blue ink here...

Here is what I'd do! hehe

1. Remove all accounts - both email and social - from the Z10 and wait 5 minutes. The wait time is to make sure the Z10 managed to delete all stuff (contacts/calendar entries);
2. Do you linking on outlook.com;
3. Add the Outlook.com account to the Z10, wait around 5 minutes for it to sync all the stuff;
4. Add the Gmail and Yahoo. For each of them, make sure to un-check the sync options you don't want;
5. Check your contacts to make sure they are the way you want;
6. Compare the contact info on the Z10 to Outlook.com. Do you see info from social networks? If so, you'll probably have duplicated info when you add social accounts and merge on the Z10;
7. Add social accounts and merge the contact on the Z10;
8. Check your contacts to make sure they are the way you want;

That should do the trick! If at step 8 your contacts are the way you want great, else go back to step 1 and skip step two!