function makeRequest(url) {
      var http_request = false;

      // This block of code selects between different browsers
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari, Opera...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
         }
      }
      else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try { // try working with new M/s XMLHTTP object vs. old
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         }
         catch (e) { // IE didn't with new XMLHTTP object
            try { // try working with older M/S MXLHTTP object
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            }
            catch (e) {} // error, nothing worked
         }
      }

      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      http_request.onreadystatechange = function() { alertContents(http_request); };
      var myRandom = parseInt(Math.random()*99999999);
      http_request.open('GET', url + "&rand=" + myRandom, true);
      http_request.send(null);
   }


   function alertContents(http_request) {
      if (http_request.readyState == 0)
         document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "Loading..."
      else if (http_request.readyState == 1)
         document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "Loading..."
      else if (http_request.readyState == 2)
         document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "Loading..."
      else if (http_request.readyState == 3)
         document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "Loading..."
      else if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
        /* if (http_request.status == 200) {
            var answer = http_request.responseText;
            document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = answer;
        }
         else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
         }
       */
           if (http_request.status == 201) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 201..."
            else if (http_request.status == 202) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 202..."
            else if (http_request.status == 203) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 203..."
            else if (http_request.status == 204) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 204..."
            else if (http_request.status == 205) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 205..."
            else if (http_request.status == 206) 
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "http status 206..."
            else if (http_request.status == 200) {
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = "Complete..."
              var answer = http_request.responseText;
              document.getElementById("details").innerHTML = answer;
              }
      }
   }