Welcome to Islandgram.com - Messages in a Bottle fun in the sun!

No. You can start using the site immediately. If you don't see the flash graphics (water, trees, bottles), you may not have the correct version of flash player installed. Please read below for more information.

Is there a way to see where your message goes?

You can find out what others have added to your message with the Islandgram Tracking feature. However, it is up to those people who add to your message to indicate their location. Click here to learn about message tracking.

Can I send my email address in the message?

Due to spam abusers we have to filter out messages that contain email addresses and website addresses. If you happen to receive an email or web address that escaped our filters, please do not use the link contained in the message as it may send you to sites that could contain viruses or undesirable content.

How do I send a Target Islandgram?

Target Islandgrams are messages that you send to a particular person. To create a Target Islandgram, click on the pile of bottles on the beach. A message scroll will open, the same message scroll that you use to send a normal (anonymous) Islandgram. Click on the seashell that appears next to the bottle. Extra fields on the writing scroll will appear asking you for more information. Enter the recipient's email address in the top field, then the message in the middle field, then your name, and finally your email address (all these fields are marked on the scroll). When you finish entering this information, click the 'Send' bottle. A message will appear to remind you to validate this Target Islandgram. Click here to get more information about Target Islandgrams and the validation process.

I do not receive your validation or notification emails for Target Islandgrams.

It is possible that our emails are landing in your junk mail folder. Check your mail settings and add Islandgram.com to your safe email list. Some email providers block our automated emails completely considering them spam emails. Some email providers block our automated emails considering them spam emails. Known email providers that do that are AOL, RoadRunner, and Verizon. Other providers send out emails to a junk folder. We cannot guarantee that our automated emails will reach you. If you do not receive our verification and notification emails you can try to use another email provider, such as hotmail, yahoo or gmail, and configure your spam email settings to add Islandgram.com to your safe email list.

Does the message go to more than one person at a time?

No. Each message is treated as a unique message and travels on its own from beach to beach.

Can you send a picture with a message?

At this time this feature is unavailable. We will consider adding it in the future.

How long will the bottle wait for me at the shore?

The bottle will stay until you pick it up. It will not go away unless you close the window or leave the Islandgram website, when it will go to another beach.

Can you receive your bottle back?

The odds of receiving back your own bottle depend on the number of users and the number of bottles in the ocean. You never know, you may be lucky.

Will I start getting junk email when I use this website?

No. We do not send promotional emails without your consent and do not share your email addresses with other entities to send promotions or other emails. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more information: click here.

Can I link to you from my website or blog?

Yes. You can link to us to this address: http://www.Islandgram.com. You can also put the Islandgram interface on your own website and use the Islandgram service from your website. For more information click here.

I get bottles with wiggly corks that don't open

It is possible that the internet is congested and that is delaying the communication between your computer and our server. Sometimes you may have to allow the cork up to 120 seconds to open. If the cork does not open for a long time, simply close your browser and try again in a few minutes. The message will not be lost. If the problem occurs repeatedly over a span of few hours, use the contact form to let us know about the problem, and explain the problem in detail.

I cannot see the Graphics (the trees, sand, bottles):

If you cannot see the water, trees and bottles on the sand, you do not have the latest version of Flash player which is necessary to be able to use this site. Go to the flash website and install flash on your computer then come back and enjoy Islandgram. As you install flash, you may check off the yahoo toolbar checkmark in the installation page if you do not wish to have that feature installed on your computer, it is not necessary for flash. (downloading flash does not mean it is installed, you must install it in order to make it work). After you install flash, check it to make sure it is installed correctly. See the next title to do that.

How do I check if I have the correct version of Flash player installed?

Click here. It will tell you which flash version is installed on your computer. If you don't have version 8 or later, then you can install it from there. As you install flash, you may check off the yahoo toolbar checkmark in the installation page if you do not wish to have that feature installed on your computer, it is not necessary for flash.

It takes a long time to receive a message:

The message delivery is dependent on a number of factors, including the number of users and other formulas. If you see the graphics of the Islandgram, such as the trees, the water and the sand, then you are in the right place. If you do not see the number of bottles delivered under the message board, or you see the word "undefined" instead of a number, then you are not connected to our system. Customized firewalls can cause this problem. Make sure to allow communication between the flash program and the internet through your firewall. Do not refresh the page in an effort to speed up the process, that will not work, or it may even delay it further.

How do I clear the Cache of my browser:

You may need to copy these directions to the notepad or print them while you perform this operation.

In the internet explorer: go to another website, such as google.com, then go to the Tools menu, and choose Internet Options. In the General Tab, click delete files and then click OK on the window that pops up. Click OK again once the computer has finished deleting the cache (this may take a minute or two). Go back to the Islandgram website.

In the Firefox Browser: go to another website, such as google.com, then go to the Tools menu, and choose Options. Choose the Privacy icon at the top of the window, then click the Cache Tab. Click the Clear Cache Now button. Once the computer has finished deleting the cache (this may take a minute or two), click ok and go back to the Islandgram website.