To open the edit box for a mailing list either double click the list folder or right click it and select Properties. The contacts are displayed in the order they were added to the list when viewing the list in the edit window. Unfortunately this cannot be changed. If you single click the list folder to make it display in the address book window then you can sort the display just like any other window in Thunderbird by clicking on one of the column headers. Click the same header a second time to reverse the sort.

Mailing list instructions. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Create_Mailing_List

It would be really nice if an edit capability could be added to the mailing list in the future

You can edit lists all you want but that editing is limited to adding or deleting members from the list. What edit features are you looking for?

It would be nice to be able to 1. sort a mailing list and 2. insert an email address into the middle of the list (to keep the list in sequence) and 3. copy a portion of the list into another list. Those three functions would allow a lot of flexibility in making lists easier to maintain. I can work around it now, but it is time consuming - move items down in list, one at a time, and then inserting an item in sequence, and repeat it for the next one etc.

You do know that you can drag and drop contacts to add them to a list? This would solve the copy issue. Just select all the contacts in the address book and drag them to the list and drop them there.

OK, but only 1 at a time - not possible to move a group - only highlighting limitations - and an area where an improvement could be made. Overall, I think Thunderbird is a great system!

1 at a time? I don't think so.

Here is a bonus lesson in selecting multiple items.

select item 1. Press control+a to select all

select item1. move up or down several items and hold the shift key while clicking item 2. This selects items 1 and 2 and all items in between.

hold the control key while clicking random items. This selects any item that is clicked on.

hold the control key while clicking a selected item. This will deselect that item.

You cannot drag and drop from a list though. This will only work in the address book itself.

A contact must exist in the address book that the list is created in to be added to that list.

You can move or copy contact between address books using drag and drop.

Drag and drop to move. Hold the control key before dropping to copy. You will see a + sign appear to indicate a copy.

There operations are universal and not a Thunderbird thing. It has been a part of computer shortcuts since the early 90's.

Something does not add up here - I select a mailing list - right click and select "Properties". I can not select more than 1 item on the mailing list using any of these techniques. They work for the entries within the address book folder, but not within the mailing list!

You cannot drag and drop from a list though. This will only work in the address book itself.

Just as I stated above.