function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//speed for each frame
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;
	//determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
	if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--){
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++){
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	}
}

//change the opacity for different browsers
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
	if (document.getElementById(id)){
		var object = document.getElementById(id).style; 
		object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
		object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
		object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
		object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
		if (opacity == 0){	// added to remove the info box from the page once its disappeared
			var oNodeToRemove = document.getElementById(id);
			oNodeToRemove.parentNode.removeChild(oNodeToRemove);
		}
	}
}

function autoClose(){
	if(document.getElementById('info-message')){
		opacity('info-message', 100, 0, 500);
	}
}