Frequently Asked Questions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. SEARCH TIPS

How should I enter keywords? With quotes? Or just a bunch of words like I do with Google?

If you conduct a single-word search, every article that contains that word will be returned. To improve the precision of your search results, it's better to use phrases or multiple words. It's also better to enclose search terms within quotation marks. Searching for "chicago bears" will return stories about the football team; using chicago bears (without quotes) might return a story about the Lincoln Park Zoo.

You also can use a wildcard - a word followed by an asterisk - as a keyword. For example, terror* would trigger a search not only for "terror," but also for "terrorism" and "terrorizing."

If you're looking for a publicly traded company, try entering its stock symbol preceded by "/ and followed by ". For example, a search for "/MSFT" (for Microsoft) will yield stories in which the company is specifically identified.

How do the options in the pull-down menus ALL SOURCES, MY SOURCES and ONE-SHOT ADVISORIES impact the search functions?

The default search option is set to "All Sources." Search results for "All Sources" will include articles from our entire database. Articles from the sources you currently subscribe to will be listed at the top of the search results; other articles from our catalog will be listed next.

When you enter a search term and select "My Sources," the search engine will return articles from only those sources to which your company has a subscription and from which you are authorized to download content.

If you select "One-Shot Advisories" the results will include only Advisories that match the term you searched on.

2. DOWNLOADING AND SAVING CONTENT

I found an article I want to use. How do I download it?

If the article is part of your company's subscription content, you will find several links displayed with the item: You can download the file to your desktop, send it to your editorial system (if this option has been configured for your newsroom), have the item emailed to you or you can print out the article.

The system also offers several additional ways you can receive content. If you don't see your preferred content-distribution method described here, please contact us at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com to discuss other delivery options.

Why can't I download articles from all sources?

You may download articles only for those sources to which your company subscribes. If you wish to use an article not included in your subscription, you may contact us to negotiate purchase of that item on a one-shot basis.

How can I purchase a one-shot article that I see described in an Advisory?

Please contact us at tms-articlesales@tribune.com and we will discuss pricing and content availability in your market.

3. ACCOUNT AND PASSWORD QUESTIONS

I forgot my password and can't login.

Not a problem. Just click the "Forgot Password?" link on the login page and we'll email you a new password.

I can't recall my username. Now what?

Your username is your email address. If you still have problems logging in, contact TMS Customer Service at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com or call us at 800-346-8798 and we'll restore your access.

I want to change my password.

If you know your old password, go to the "My Account" page and click on the "Change your password" link. You can change your password as often as you like. If you have forgotten your password, select "Forgot Password?" This will generate an email message containing a new password.

I use the same TMS content each week. Is there an easy way for me to access this material once it is posted without using the site navigation or search?

Yes. You can customize the site based on your content needs. If there are TMS features, columns, cartoons, games, puzzles or other material you work with every day or every week, you can choose to have that content emailed to you once it is posted to the system. Or you can use an RSS reader to view the content via the RSS feeds. Just select the "My Sources" link and check the TMS features you would like to have emailed to you. Then click on the "Save email preferences" button at the bottom of the page to activate the feature. To view the RSS feed just select the orange RSS icon.

I have a billing question. Whom do I contact?

Please contact your TMS sales representative using the information found on the Contact Us page. If you're not sure who your sales rep is, contact Customer Service via email at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com or by phone at 800-346-8798.

I don't have an account. How do I get set up with one?

Please contact a sales representative listed on the Contact Us page. Or, contact Customer Service via email at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com or by phone at 800-346-8798.

4. TECHNICAL ISSUES

I can't find a particular column, feature, comic, game or puzzle. What do I do next?

The sources to which your company subscribes should be listed on the left-hand side of the page. If a source is missing, please contact customer service at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com.

You also can use the search function to locate TMS content that may not be on your subscription list. If that doesn't work, contact our Customer Service team at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com for additional help.

Something is wrong with this feature. It looks like it's missing text or has bad characters embedded in it. What now?

The content may have been garbled during transmission. Contact us at tmscustomerservice@tribune.com and we can resend the article to you.

What browsers do you support?

We support recent versions of modern browsers, including Internet Explorer 6+, Safari 1.2+, and Firefox 1.5+.