function makeRequest(url, http_request, displayArea) {
        //http_request.abort();
        http_request = false;
        if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
            http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
            if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
                http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            }
        } 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('Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance');
            return false;
        }
        if(url.indexOf("?")>0) {
        	url += "&";
        } else {
        	url += "?";
        }
        url += "time=" + new Date();
        http_request.open('GET', url, true);
        http_request.send(null);
        http_request.onreadystatechange = function() { alertContents(http_request, displayArea); };
        
    }
    function alertContents(http_request, displayArea) {
        if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
            if (http_request.status == 200) {
            	var i=0;
	            var prefix = "<!--DISPLAYAREA:";
	            var suffix = "-->";
	            var responseText = http_request.responseText;
	            if (displayArea==""){
	            	for(;responseText.indexOf(prefix,i)>=0;) {
		                //alert(i + "  " + responseText.indexOf(prefix,i) + " " + responseText.indexOf(suffix,i));
		                displayArea = responseText.substring(responseText.indexOf(prefix,i)+prefix.length,responseText.indexOf(suffix,responseText.indexOf(prefix,i)));
		                var responseText1 = responseText.substring(responseText.indexOf(prefix,i),responseText.indexOf("<!--END:"+displayArea+"-->",i));
		                if (document.getElementById(displayArea)) {
		                	document.getElementById(displayArea).innerHTML = responseText1;  
		                }
		                i = responseText.indexOf("<!--END:"+displayArea+"-->",i)>0?responseText.indexOf("<!--END:"+displayArea+"-->",i)+1:i+5;
		                //alert(responseText.indexOf("<!--END:"+displayArea+"-->") + " " + displayArea + " " + responseText1);
		            }
				} else{
					document.getElementById(displayArea).innerHTML = responseText;  
				}
            } else {
                alert('There was a problem with the request.');
            }//if (http_request
        }
    }