function checkform(){
	
// start out assuming the form is good
var errormessage = ""; 
var category = "";

var UserID = document.signupform.UserID.value;
if (UserID == "" || UserID.indexOf("'", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf("<", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf("/", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf(" ", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf("@", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf(".com", 0) > -1 || UserID.indexOf("www.", 0) > -1 ){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your MemberID and it must not have any characters that aren't letters or numbers\n";
}
// check the password
if ((document.signupform.Pass.value.length < 5) || !(document.signupform.Pass.value == document.signupform.verifyPass.value)){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- Your password must be longer than 5 characters. Also the password and verify password fields must match.  Please try again.\n";
}
if (document.signupform.agree.checked == false){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must agree to the terms and conditions\n";
}
if (document.signupform.Age.value == ""){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must select your age\n";
}

if (document.signupform.phone_area.value == ""){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your phone number area code\n";
}

if (document.signupform.phone.value == ""){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your phone number\n";
}

var FirstName = document.signupform.FirstName.value;
if (FirstName.value == "" || FirstName.indexOf("'", 0) > -1 || FirstName.indexOf("/", 0) > -1){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your First Name, and it must contain only alphanumeric characters\n";
}
var LastName = document.signupform.LastName.value;
if (LastName.value == "" || LastName.indexOf("'", 0) > -1 || LastName.indexOf("/", 0) > -1){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your Last Name, and it must contain only alphanumeric characters\n";
}
// make sure they checked something for type
var GenderSet = "0";
for (var i=0; i < document.signupform.Gender.length; i++){
  if (document.signupform.Gender[i].checked){
	GenderSet = "set";
  }
}
if (GenderSet != "set"){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your Gender\n";
}
var Email = document.signupform.Email.value;
if (Email == "" && Email.indexOf(".", 0) < 0 || Email.indexOf("@", 0) < 0){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must fill in your Email with a valid Email Address\n";
}
// make sure they checked something for type
var WhatToDisplay = "0";
for (var i=0; i < document.signupform.WhatToDisplay.length; i++){
  if (document.signupform.WhatToDisplay[i].checked){
	WhatToDisplay = "set";
  }
}
if (WhatToDisplay != "set"){
	errormessage = "- You must select what name you want to display!\n";
}
// make sure they checked something for category
if (document.signupform.category.value == ""){
	errormessage = errormessage + "- You must select a portfolio category before continuing!\n";
}

// check to see if there was an error
if (errormessage == ""){
	document.signupform.submit();
}
else {
	alert("The following problems were found with your signup:\n" + errormessage);
}


}