Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why was Stairway To The Moon™ created?
A: This website was developed to give everyone on earth, worldwide, the chance to help build the first virtual stairway that leads from earth to the moon.

Q: How can I help to build the Stairway To The Moon™?
A: It's easy! All we ask is for you to build a stair with a special memory, sentiment, occasion or event (take a look at the ideas page if you need some help). Once you submit your information, it completes the building of the stair and you are issued an official stair registration number.

Q: Does it cost anything to help build the stairway?
A: No. It's free! It's fun! It's a galactic adventure! You are encouraged to build as many stairs as you like.

Q: Can I view my stair after it's completed?
A: Yes. Just visit StairwayToTheMoon.com, click on view and enter your stair registration number.

Q: Can I view stairs that were built by others?
A: Yes. You can look at what others have written at any time. Just visit StairwayToTheMoon.com, click on view and enter the stair registration number or you can search for stairs by entering criteria such as name, email address, location or keywords in the message. We encourage you to come back often to see what others have written and to check on the progress of the Stairway To The Moon™.

Q: How many stairs are there to reach the moon?
A: The number of stairs has been calculated by a college university professor. The number of stairs in the Stairway To The Moon™ will be kept a secret at this time.

Q: How can I notify others that I have built a stair that I want them to see?
A: It's easy. Enter one or more email addresses in #7 on the build page for those individuals you would like notified. Once you submit the stair, stairwaytothemoon.com will generate a message to those individuals from your email address with the link to your stair. The recipients will need to click on the link to see your stair. There is a limit (up to 200 characters) on the number of addresses that can be entered.

Q: Can I give someone a stair as a gift?
A: Yes. And, it's a great way to surprise someone. Enter the email address of the individual you want to gift a stair to in #7 on the build page. Once you submit the stair, stairwaytothemoon.com will do the rest. We will generate a message to that individual from your email address with the link to the stair you created. The recipient of your email will need to click on the link to see your stair. Here's a thought! Are you considering a marriage proposal? Wow! This is surely a unique way to pop the question. There is a limit (up to 200 characters) on the number of addresses that can be entered to receive your gift message.

Q: How can I create a mystery or other game?
A: It's easy... Usually a game is made up of one or more clues. To begin, the leader builds a stair with a message that contains the first clue and then sends it to the group of people playing the game by entering their email addresses in line 7 on the build page. Members of the group receive an email that invites them to StairwayToTheMoon.com to view the stair that the leader built. They can then respond to the clue by building a new stair that contains the answer in the message and sending it back to the leader's email address. The leader may need to build more than one stair to handle all the clues to the puzzle.

Q: Is there a chance that the message on my stair is not suited for Stairway To The Moon™?
A: Yes. You must acknowledge the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before your stair is issued a stair number. Since Stairway To The Moon™ is a worldwide event, whereby anyone can view the messages on the stairs, discretion is emphasized when writing your message. Remember, everyone accessing the site can randomly read what is written.

Q: Why does the number of stairs built show a different number on the various pages of the website?
A: Due to continuous activity on the website, the number of stairs built is constantly changing. Also, there is a possibility that your computer is caching local copies of the pages and not checking the server for updates, but ultimately this is a function of the browser on your computer.

Q: Why is it that special characters that I entered in my stair message do not display on my stair?
A: For security reasons, special characters such as "/" "\" "*" and others are prevented from displaying.

Q: After I build a stair, how will I know what my official stair number is?
A: You will be sent a confirmation email and it will also be displayed on the lower section of your stair.

Q: Why did I receive a returned mail transcript?
A: On the build page you are permitted to enter the email address(es) of anyone you want notified about the stair you are building. If you entered an invalid email address (possibly due to mistyping an address) you will receive an email notification error similar to this:
From: Mail Delivery Subsystem
Subject: Returned mail: see transcript for details
Additionally, the email announcing the stair that you just built will obviously not be received by the intended recipient whose email address was entered incorrectly. Therefore, it's recommended that you carefully enter email addresses.

Q: I received an error message while using your website, what should I do?
A: Send an email to support@stairwaytothemoon.com and cut & paste the error message you received into the email. Additionally please let us know what you were attempting to do when you received the error message.

Q: What information is required on Stairway To The Moon™ before the stair is given it's stair registration number?
A: The website requires you to enter the following: Your first name or initials (no last name required); your email address; the physical location you are at when you build the stair (city, state, country); the message you wish to put on your stair; optionally, the email addresses of people that you wish to notify about the stair that you are building and your date of birth. For privacy reasons we do NOT require or recommend that you put last names, street addresses, telephone numbers, or other personally identifiable information in your stair message. Lastly, you must acknowledge that you have read and understand the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Q: Why do I need to enter my date of birth when I build a stair?
A: To comply with Title XIII, Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Your date of birth is used only to calculate your age and will not be displayed on the stair. Please also refer to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more information.

Q: Can I have a stair message that my child created be removed from the website?
A: Yes. Contact us and indicate your relationship to the child. Briefly describe why you want the stair removed and provide a telephone number should we need to contact you, along with your email address. Usual response time will be within 72 hours.

Q: Can I request that my child's email be blocked from building stairs on the site?
A: Yes. Contact us and indicate your relationship to the child. Provide your child's email address and we will make every attempt to block access. Usual response time will be in 5 business days.