rqstComment = function(task, thread, s, e, cmtData){
		$.getJSON('comments.php', {task: task}, function(data){
			var baseurl = 'https://ourapiurl';
			var site = data.site;
			var url = site + '/' + thread;
			var token = data.token;
			if(task == 'get'){
				$.ajax({
					  type: 'get',
					  url: baseurl + url,
					  data: {env: data.env, token: token, userId: data.username},
					  success: function(commentsArray) {
						s(commentsArray);
					  },
					  error: function(XHR, text){
						 $('#' + thread).html('<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert"><i class="fa fa-comments fa-lg"></i> Comments are not able to load at this time.</div>');
						  e
					  }
				   });
			}
			else if(task == 'download'){
				var downlink = baseurl + 'export/' + url + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token;
				$('#cmtsExport').find('.modal-body').html('<a href="' + downlink + '" id="downlink"><i class="fa fa-file-excel-o"></i> Download Comments</a>');
				$('#downlink').click(function(){
					$('#cmtsExport').modal('hide');
				});
				$('#cmtsExport').modal('show');
			}
			else if(data.username){//requires username to be returned
				if(task == 'post'){//new comment to add to thread
					var cmtstr = cmtData.content;
					if(cmtstr.length < 3000){
					 $.ajax({
						  type: 'post',
						  url: baseurl + url + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token + '&userId=' + data.username,
						  data: cmtData,
						  success: function(comment) {
							 s(comment)
						  },
						  error: function(XHR, text){
							  alert('New comments are not able to post at this time.');
							  e
						  }
					   });
					}
					else{
						alert('You have exceeded the maximum character limit of 3000 characters.');	
					}
				}
				else if(task == 'put'){//updated comment in thread
					if(cmtData.created_by_current_user && cmtData.content.length < 3000){
					 $.ajax({
						  type: 'put',
						  url: baseurl + site + '/' + cmtData.id + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token + '&userId=' + data.username,
						  data: cmtData,
						  success: function(comment) {
							 s(comment)
						  },
						  error: function(XHR, text){
							  alert('Comments are not able to be updated at this time.');
							  e
						  }
					   });
					}
					else if(cmtData.content.length >= 3000){
						alert('You have exceeded the maximum character limit of 3000 characters.');
					}
					else{
						alert('Only the comment author can edit the comment text.');	
					}
				}
				else if(task == 'delete'){//delete comment from thread
					if(confirm(confirmmsg)){
					 $.ajax({
						  type: 'delete',
						  url: baseurl + site + '/' + cmtData.id + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token + '&userId=' + data.username,
						  success: s,
						  error: function(XHR, text){
							  alert('Comments are not able to be deleted at this time.');
							  e
						  },
						  dataType: 'html'
					   });
					}
				}
				else if(task == 'upvote'){
					if(cmtData.user_has_upvoted) {// these mean that the user just upvoted
						  $.ajax({
							 type: 'post',
							 url: baseurl + 'vote/' + site + '/' + cmtData.id + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token + '&userId=' + data.username,
							 success: function() {
								s(cmtData)
							 },
							  error: function(XHR, text){
								  alert('Comments are not able to receive votes at this time.');
								  e
							  }						  
						});
					   } else {
						  $.ajax({
							 type: 'delete',
							 url: baseurl + 'vote/' + site + '/' + cmtData.id + '?env=' + data.env + '&token=' + token + '&userId=' + data.username,
							 success: function() {
								s(cmtData)
								console.log('says success');
							 },
							  error: function(XHR, text){
								  alert('Comments are not able to clear votes at this time.');
								  e
							  },
							 dataType: 'html'
						  }); 
					   }
				}
			}
			else{
				alert('Your session has timed out. Please login again to submit comments.');	
			}
		});
	}