function pod1_signup_for_newsletter()
{
	var form_email = $('email_address');

	if(validate_email(form_email.value))
	{
		$('newsletter_signup_msg').update('Signing you up...');
		$('mailing_panel').addClassName('loading');
		Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { duration: 1.0 });
		new Ajax.Request('/ajax/mailinglist',
	      {
	        method:'get',
	        parameters: $('email_address').serialize(true),
	        onSuccess: 
	        
	        	function(transport)
	        	{
	        		Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { from: 1.0, to: 0.0, duration: 1.0, afterFinish: 
	        			function()
	        			{
	        				$('newsletter_signup_msg').update('Thanks - you\'ve been successfully signed up to the Pod1 newsletter');
							$('mailing_panel').removeClassName('loading');
							Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { duration: 1.0, afterFinish: function(){ setTimeout('pod1_hide_signup_msg();', 7000); } });
							$('email_address').value = 'Sign up with a different email address?';	
	        			}
	        		 });
	        		
					
	        	},
	            
	        onFailure: 
	        	function()
	        	{
	        		$('newsletter_signup_msg').update('It seems something went wrong whilst signing you up - please try again later.');
					$('mailing_panel').removeClassName('loading');
					Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { duration: 1.0, afterFinish: function(){ setTimeout('pod1_hide_signup_msg();', 5000); } });
	        	},
	        onUninitialized: 
	        	function()
	        	{
	        		$('newsletter_signup_msg').update('It seems something went wrong whilst signing you up - please try again later.');
					$('mailing_panel').removeClassName('loading');
					Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { duration: 1.0, afterFinish: function(){ setTimeout('pod1_hide_signup_msg();', 5000); } });
	        	}
	      });

		
	}
	else
	{
		$('newsletter_signup_msg').update('Your email address appears to be invalid... Please check and retry.');
		Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { duration: 1.0,  afterFinish: function(){ setTimeout('pod1_hide_signup_msg();', 2000); } });
	}
}

function pod1_hide_signup_msg()
{
	Effect.Appear('newsletter_signup_msg', { from: 1.0, to: 0.0, duration: 1.0 });
}