function content_retriever(url) { var http_request = false; if(navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") { try { http_request == new ActiveXObject('msxml2.XMLHTTP'); document.getElementById('message_field').innerHTML = 'msxml2'; } catch (e) { http_request == new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP'); document.getElementById('message_field').innerHTML = 'msxml'; } } else { http_request == new XMLHttpRequest(); document.getElementById('message_field').innerHTML = 'XMLHTTP'; } }