function strpos( haystack, needle, offset){
    var i = (haystack+'').indexOf( needle, offset ); 
    return i===-1 ? false : i;
}

function postmsg(msg, bid_id) {  
    
    document.getElementById(bid_id+'_working').innerHTML = '<img src="/images/loading.gif">';
    
    var http = false;
    
    if(navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
      http = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    } else {
      http = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }     
        
      http.abort();
      http.open("GET", window.locale.baseUrl+"/ajax/bid_msg.php?msg="+msg+"&bid_id="+bid_id, true);
      
      http.onreadystatechange=function() {
    if(http.readyState == 4) {
      document.getElementById(bid_id+'_bid_messages').innerHTML = http.responseText;      
      if (strpos(http.responseText, 'error', 0) == 0) {
        document.getElementById(bid_id+'_msg').value = '';
      }      
      document.getElementById(bid_id+'_working').innerHTML = '';
    }
  }
  http.send(null);  
}