function rateIt(theID,parentID){
                 
// Create the XMLHttpRequest Object

var rate = null;

try{
    rate = new XMLHttpRequest();
}

catch (ms){
    try{
        rate = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
    }

catch (nonms){
    try{
        rate = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    }

catch (failed){
    rate = null;
    }
}  

}

if (rate == null)
    alert("Error creating request object!");
                  
rate.open("POST", "ratings-writer.php", true);    // Transport the values via POST to PHP-File asynchronously
              
rate.setRequestHeader("Content-Type",
    "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
        
      var articleID =  parentID.replace(/\D/g,'');
    var reader_rating = document.getElementById(theID).innerHTML;
    var id_and_rating = "id_and_rating=" + articleID + "|" + reader_rating;
        rate.send(id_and_rating);

document.getElementById("rating_confirm" + articleID).innerHTML = "Thank you for voting!";

}