function validEmail(email) {
		invalidChars = " /:,;"

		if (email == "") {
			return false
		}
		for (i=0; i<invalidChars.length; i++) {
			badChar = invalidChars.charAt(i)
			if (email.indexOf(badChar,0) > -1) {
				return false
			}
		}
		atPos = email.indexOf("@",1)
		if (atPos == -1) {
			return false
		}
		if (email.indexOf("@",atPos+1) > -1) {
			return false
		}
		periodPos = email.indexOf(".",atPos)
		if (periodPos == -1) {
			return false
		}
		if (periodPos+3 > email.length)	{
			return false
		}
		return true
	}

   function checkForm(form)  {  	

		if (form.name.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please enter your name");
		   form.name.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (!validEmail(form.email.value))  {
		   alert("Please enter a valid email address");
		   form.email.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (form.comment_.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please enter your position");
		   form.comment_.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (form.additional_.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please enter your institution / state");
		   form.additional_.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (form.userid_.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please enter your country");
		   form.userid_.focus();
		   return false;
		}
	    return true; 
	}
	
	function checkForm_SMS(form)  { 
	   
	    positionChoice = -1; 
		for (i=0; i<form.comment_.length; i++)  {
		   if (form.comment_[i].checked)  {
				positionChoice = i;
		   }
		}
		
		MSAChoice = -1; 
		for (i=0; i<form.userid_.length; i++)  {
		   if (form.userid_[i].checked)  {
				MSAChoice = i;
		   }
		}	

		if (form.name.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please enter your name");
		   form.name.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (!validEmail(form.email.value))  {
		   alert("Please enter a valid email address");
		   form.email.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (positionChoice == -1) {
		   alert("You must choose a position");
		   return false;
		}
		if (form.additional_.value=="")  {
		   alert("Please choose a department");
		   form.additional_.focus();
		   return false;
		}
		if (MSAChoice == -1) {
		   alert("Are you an MSA member?");
		   return false;
		}
	    return true; 
	}