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PhoneDisc Instructions


To use PhoneDisc:

Click on the PhoneDisc alias on your desktop. (If you don't have PhoneDisc on your desktop, you need to DOWNLOAD PHONEDISC. Downloading PhoneDisc will put a golden CD on your desktop.) This is the MidAtlantic PhoneDisc -- if you want to use the PhoneDisc for other parts of the country, you may come back to News Research and check them out in the same way you would check out a magazine or book.

The MidAtlantic PhoneDisc includes: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

To Search:

You can search the PhoneDisc in four different ways:

    NAME

    - This is the default. Just type a last name or business name in the name field. If the name is common, you can add a comma and a first initial or first name. You can then click on the LIMIT button to narrow your search by city, state, zip code, area code, etc. You might use this to find all the McVey's in Oklahoma or all the Kreutzer's in Maryland. This is the way you'd use it when we're covering a story like a plane crash or a Ft. Bragg shooting.

    - If you find a business name but don't know what kind of business it is, you can click on BUSN and it will put you on the correct business category in the Business Type Index window. For example, if you find a listing for Krueger International in Washington, DC but have no idea what kind of business it is you can click on BUSN and the Business Type Index window will tell you that Krueger International is in the business of Furniture and Fixture Manufacturing. To go back to searching by name, just close that box out (don't click on DISPLAY). If you want to continue looking for other businesses in that category, click on DISPLAY.

    BUSINESS

    - Click on the BUSN button and a screen will come up with various business categories. Just type in the category of business you want - optometrists, newspapers, or aquaculture farms - then click on DISPLAY. These categories are determined by SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification) so you may not be able to find the exact category you want. You may have to try a couple of different ways of looking for something -- for example, there's not a specific category for Bed & Breakfasts, so you'd have to look under Hotels & Motels.

    - If you can't find a type of business by typing in the category, try this: Go back to searching by NAME and search for the name of a business that you know is the type of business you want. Then click on BUSN and it will tell you how that business is categorized.

    - After you type in a category, the number to the right of the business type is the number of that type of business establishments on the SouthEast PhoneDisc.

    - You may use LIMIT to narrow your search by city, state, area code, or a number of other fields.

    ADDRESS

    - Click on the ADDR button. You'll then be able to type in the city, street, and number of the address you're looking for. You can click on the box beside Show Names to see all the neighbors.

    - If you're searching for a person's neighbors, you can search for them by NAME then click on ADDR and it will bring you to that person's place in the address listing.

    PHONE NUMBER

    - Click on the PHONE button and type in the phone number (area code first).

Helpful Tools:

The ?# button beside the LIMIT button is a count feature. You can also find it under TOOLS in the pull down menu. If you're searching for a list of day care centers in Durham, you can click on the count button (the ?# button) and it will tell you how many were found. But beware that this may not a complete list!

To Print:

You can print the listings you find. To do this, you must highlight all the entries you want to print. After you've highlighted them you should either click on the tiny printer button or click on File and then click on Print listings. This will bring up a new screen that will give you some options about what you want to print. If you want a phone number, you must click on the box beside Include phone #.

To Quit:

Click on the word File in the upper left corner of your screen then click on Quit. Then drag the phonedisc server icon to the trashcan. (The phonedisc server icon looks like a tray with file folders on it and is labeled PDMA9802.)

Notes:

The PhoneDisc can be a very useful tool for finding people, neighbors, and businesses. It is not comprehensive and is not always 100% correct, but we've found that it's the best of its kind on the market. It can be an extremely useful resource, but should not be used to the exclusion of the phonebook, the city directory, the criss- cross, and directory assistance.

If you need more help with learning to use all the capabilities of the PhoneDisc, please contact anyone in the News Research Department.


Prepared by the News Research Department of The News & Observer
Last updated -- 9/98