anchor.diff:                          }
   
                           if (historyResult === null) {
  -                          alert("using backup method this.history[" + pref + "]");
  +                          //alert("using backup method this.history[" + pref + "]");
                             historyResult = this.history[pref];
  -                          alert("this.history[" + pref + "] returned '" + historyResult + "'");
  +                          //alert("this.history[" + pref + "] returned '" + historyResult + "'");
                           }
                       } catch (err) {
                          alert("Error in Prefs.getString: " + err);
                       }
   
                       if (historyResult === null) {
  -                       alert("neither <%=renderResponse.encodeURL(getHistoryUrl.toString())%> nor this.history[" + pref + "] returned a result!");
  +                       //alert("neither <%=renderResponse.encodeURL(getHistoryUrl.toString())%> nor this.history[" + pref + "] returned a result!");
                          historyResult = "";
                       }
   
  +                    alert("Pref.getString(...)=" + historyResult);
                       return historyResult;
                   }
           }
  
positive.code: 
              results.groups = data.groups;
  
              $('#pid_results').html(this.html(results.sort(data.items)).join(" "));
          }
          Results.prototype.html  = function(sorted_data) {
              var html = [];
              var count = sorted_data.length;
  
  
negative.code:                     var historyResult = "";
                      try {
                          //return prefs.getString(pref);
                          //alert("attempting to get history from '<%=renderResponse.encodeURL(getHistoryUrl.toString())%>'");
                          var ajaxResult = $.ajax(
                                  {
                                     type: 'GET',
  