function checkForm(formObj) {
	var returnValue=true;
	// if form.elements are empty

		// use innerHTML on the spans that are empty
		if(formObj.name.value=="") {
			var span=document.getElementById('spanName');
			span.setAttribute("class","smallerTextError");
			returnValue =  false;
		}
		else {
			var span=document.getElementById('spanName');
			span.setAttribute("class","smallerText");
		}
		
			var returnEmailValue=true;
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value == '') {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value == '') returnEmailValue =  true;
			var invalidChars = '\/\'\\ ";:?!()[]\{\}^|';
			for (i=0; i<invalidChars.length; i++) {
			   if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf(invalidChars.charAt(i),0) > -1) {
				  returnEmailValue =  false;
			   }
			}
			for (i=0; i<formObj.emailAddress.value.length; i++) {
			   if (formObj.emailAddress.value.charCodeAt(i)>127) {
				  returnEmailValue =  false;
			   }
			}
			
			var atPos = formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('@',0);
			if (atPos == -1) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (atPos == 0) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('@', atPos + 1) > - 1) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('.', atPos) == -1) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('@.',0) != -1) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('.@',0) != -1){
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			if (formObj.emailAddress.value.indexOf('..',0) != -1) {
			   returnEmailValue =  false;
			}
			
			if(returnEmailValue) {
				var span=document.getElementById('spanEmailAddress');
				span.setAttribute("class","smallerText");
			}
			else {
				var span=document.getElementById('spanEmailAddress');
				span.setAttribute("class","smallerTextError");
				returnValue = false;
			}
		
		
		if(formObj.subject.value=="") {
		var span=document.getElementById('spanSubject');
		span.setAttribute("class","smallerTextError");
		returnValue =  false;
		}
		else {
		var span=document.getElementById('spanSubject');
		span.setAttribute("class","smallerText");
		}
		if(formObj.msg.value=="") {
		var span=document.getElementById('spanMsg');
		span.setAttribute("class","smallerTextError");
		returnValue =  false;
		}
		else {
		var span=document.getElementById('spanMsg');
		span.setAttribute("class","smallerText");
		}
		
		// message to the top span in red telling to fill in the fields
		if(!returnValue) {
			if(!document.getElementById('spanErrorDisplay')) {
				var newSpan=document.createElement('span');
				newSpan.innerHTML = "please fill in the fields in red";
				newSpan.setAttribute("class","smallerTextError");
				newSpan.setAttribute("id","spanErrorDisplay");
				formObj.parentNode.insertBefore(newSpan, formObj);
			}
		}
	 return returnValue;
		
	// else return true
}