var http_request = false;

    function makeRequest(url) {
               http_request = false;

               if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
                    http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
                    if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
                         http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
                         // See note below about this line
                    }
               } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
                    try {
                         http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
                    } catch (e) {
                         try {
                              http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
                         } catch (e) {}
                    }
               }

               if (!http_request) {
                    alert('ERROR\n\nCannot create an XMLHTTP instance.');
                    return false;
               }
               http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
               http_request.open('GET', url, true);
               http_request.send(null);
    }
	
	function IsNumeric(sText)

{
   var ValidChars = "0123456789.";
   var IsNumber=true;
   var Char;

 
   for (i = 0; i < sText.length && IsNumber == true; i++) 
      { 
      Char = sText.charAt(i); 
      if (ValidChars.indexOf(Char) == -1) 
         {
         IsNumber = false;
         }
      }
   return IsNumber;
   
   }

    function alertContents() {

        if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
		            if (http_request.status == 200) {
                    if (http_request.responseText.length > 0) {
       var temp = http_request.responseText.split(":");
       if ( IsNumeric(temp[1]) )
	   document.getElementById("RATING_" + temp[0]).innerHTML = "<span>" + temp[1] + "</span>votes";
                    }
            } 
			}
			   if ( temp[1] == 'You already voted' )
			   {
	   document.getElementById("RATING_" + temp[0]).innerHTML = "<span style=\"font-size:10px\">" + temp[1] + "</span>";
                    }
			
			    if ( temp[1] == 'You already voted' )
    {
        alert("You've already voted.  You may only vote once per article.");
        return;
    }
	   if ( temp[1] == 'You must login to vote' )
			   {
	   document.getElementById("RATING_" + temp[0]).innerHTML = "<span style=\"font-size:10px\">" + temp[1] + "</span>";
                    }
	
	  if ( temp[1] == 'You must login to vote' )
    {
        alert("You must login to vote.");
        return;
    }
	       
		}