function makeRequest() 

{

	//alert("makeRequest");

	var http_request = false;

	

	// Mozilla, Safari, ...

	if (window.XMLHttpRequest)

	{

		http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();

		if (http_request.overrideMimeType)

		{

					http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');

					// See note below about this line

		}

	}

	// IE

	else if (window.ActiveXObject)

	{

		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;

	}

	else

		return http_request;

}