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...and you are NOT using a framework like jQuery or Prototype, think long and hard to come up with a very good reason why you are not! In all my years of coding, the only valid reason I have ever seen for not using one of these tools, is because someone is trying to learn it the old fashioned way (but not necessarily actually build websites with it). Or...someone is trying to build their own framework. That's it! IMO there has been no other reason worthy enough to warrant not using jQuery or the like! "It will bloat my website, increase page load time, blahblah" is not a good enough reason! These frameworks are compacted and browsers will cache them! So if you post an AJAX question here and your code and/or question does not involve the use of an existing framework like jQuery, then be prepared for you first response to be something along the lines of "Why aren't you using a framework?" Seriously. It is super easy. Way easier than that code you're trying to post. Save yourself the headache. Get jQuery or similar. DO IT.

It was not my intention (nor do I think I implied it) to say you're stupid if you don't use a framework. I said do yourself a favor and make your life easier. Also, I am not "just another soldier" in the "we use frameworks" army. I actually actively resisted and opposed frameworks for a very long time. I too made arguments such as "If people learn jQuery, they won't learn the core language and therefore they will be weak." But the bottom line is that there's always going to be a certain amount of coding involved to keep things cross-browser compatible. And after several years of developing and maintaining my own baked framework (because that is essentially what you wind up with), I came to the realization that there's a whole lot of people out there much smarter than me who are dedicated to maintaining frameworks such as jQuery, vs. just myself, and on my very best of days my code will look very similar to theirs anyways. In short, I came to the realization that it was a waste of my time trying to develop and maintain my own baked framework, because my coding career does not revolve around that framework. Now, I still agree with the notion that one should take the time to learn javascript without frameworks, before diving into using them. I still absolutely agree with the dangers of not properly learning the nuances of javascript if you don't. And the same can be said for any language and framework. But if you've reached that level of expertise, all you are doing is holding yourself back by dedicating time and effort to maintaining your own baked solution. There's basically no compelling argument to do it, unless you are looking to distribute it and focus solely on it. Literally thousands of sites and coders out there developing, testing and submitting feedback etc. to a framework will always do it better than you, one person, trying to basically do the same thing on your own. And for what? Bragging rights? If I'm "just another.." then tell me, what makes you think rolling your own is better? I honestly want to know, because as I said, I did start on your side of the fence. Anyways, I also agree that there's little point in using it if you're only going to use like 1 tiny piece of it. I suppose I will concede that maybe I should amend the OP to weigh the options. But thing is, 9/10 times I see people not using a framework for stuff like AJAX.. turns out the site they are working on is already using a framework. This certainly comes up a lot more for freelancers and coders working in agencies who work with many clients on many sites and it's constantly new sites/clients in the door, vs. some coder working as web dev for a single company. Point being that if you get hired by a client to do some work on their site, it is better to evaluate what they already have going on there and use what's already there, than to just start throwing your own stuff into the mix. If you want to talk about unnecessary bloat, well that's a prime example right there. P.s. - telling me to "keep it civil" right after you've thrown out a "you're just another.." statement.. classy.

Lol first impression was "who the hell is starting yet another thread in caps". But I think many people here agree on what you just wrote. I don't even bother reading vanilla js doing ajax stuff.