function makeRequest(url, altUrl, text_name_in) {
        var 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) {
            window.status = 'Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance';
            return true;
        }
        http_request.onreadystatechange = function() { 
        	if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
            	if (http_request.status == 200) {
                	document.getElementById(text_name_in).innerHTML = http_request.responseText;
            	} else {
                	window.location = altUrl;
            	}
        	}
        };
        http_request.open('POST', url, true);
        http_request.send('');
	return false;
}