diff --git a/code/boot.js b/code/boot.js
index 1712ac39..cf811d91 100644
--- a/code/boot.js
+++ b/code/boot.js
@@ -571,6 +571,7 @@ function boot() {
   }});
 
   window.extractFromStock();
+  window.iitc_bg.init(); //NOTE: needs to be early (before any requests sent), but after extractFromStock()
   window.setupIdle();
   window.setupTaphold();
   window.setupStyles();
diff --git a/code/botguard_interface.js b/code/botguard_interface.js
index 9eb53ffe..2ef30b90 100644
--- a/code/botguard_interface.js
+++ b/code/botguard_interface.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ iitc_bg.init = function() {
   // B - a key(?). set in the main web page HTML, name isn't changed on site updates
   // CS - initialisation data for botguard - again in the main page, again name is constant
   // a list of method names to protect. varies on site updates (sometimes) - in window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods
-  // a (smaller) list of methods for group a - in window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods
+  // a (smaller) list of methods for group a - in window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods
 
 
   var botguard_key = B;
@@ -111,9 +111,14 @@ iitc_bg.process_key = function(key,serverEval) {
       // server wants us to eval some code! risky, and impossible to be certain we can do it safely
       // however... reports say that it only interacts with the botguard.bg code, so we might be fine just running it
       try {
+        console.warn('Server-generated javascript eval requested:\n'+serverExec);
 debugger;
+if (!confirm('The server asked IITC to run (eval) some javascript. This may or may not be safe. Run and continue?\n\nScript:\n'+serverEval)) { console.error('server javascript eval cancelled') } else
         eval(serverEval);
+console.log('Server-generated javascript ran OK');
       } catch(e) {
+console.warn('Server-generated javascript - threw an exception');
+console.warn(e);
         caught = true;
       }
     }
@@ -135,7 +140,7 @@ iitc_bg.get_method_group = function(method) {
 // undefined for no group
 
   if (window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods.indexOf(method) != -1) {
-    if (window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods.indexOf(method) != -1) {
+    if (window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods.indexOf(method) != -1) {
       return "group-a-actions";
     } else {
       return "group-b-actions";
@@ -198,7 +203,6 @@ iitc_bg.get_request_data = function(method) {
   
 iitc_bg.dummy_botguard = function() {};
 iitc_bg.dummy_botguard.prototype.invoke = function(callback) {
-debugger;
   callback("dkxm");
 };
 
diff --git a/code/chat.js b/code/chat.js
index f8e43895..00a7d192 100644
--- a/code/chat.js
+++ b/code/chat.js
@@ -451,8 +451,14 @@ window.chat.toggle = function() {
 
 window.chat.request = function() {
   console.log('refreshing chat');
-  chat.requestFaction(false);
-  chat.requestPublic(false);
+  var tab = chat.getActive();
+//TODO: add 'alerts' tab, and add the matching case in here
+  if (tab == 'faction') {
+    chat.requestFaction(false);
+  } else {
+    // the 'public', 'full' and 'compact' tabs are all based off the 'public' COMM data
+    chat.requestPublic(false);
+  }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/code/extract_niantic_parameters.js b/code/extract_niantic_parameters.js
index 25f862c8..db8de381 100644
--- a/code/extract_niantic_parameters.js
+++ b/code/extract_niantic_parameters.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ window.extractFromStock = function() {
   // botguard group-a or group-b, while the others is just a list of those in one group
 
   window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods = [];
-  window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods = [];
+  window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods = [];
 
   var countMethods = function(arr) {
     var methods = ['artifacts', 'getGameScore', 'getPlexts', 'getPortalDetails', 'redeemReward', 'sendInviteEmail', 'sendPlext'];
@@ -92,12 +92,12 @@ window.extractFromStock = function() {
     var arr = arrays[i];
     var arrCount = countMethods(arr);
 
-    // now store the longest in niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods, and 2nd longest in .niantic_params.botguard_group_methods
+    // now store the longest in niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods, and 2nd longest in .niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods
 
     if (arrCount > protectedMethodsCount) {
       // longest found - copy any existing longest to the 2nd longest
 
-      window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods = window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods;
+      window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods = window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods;
       groupMethodsCount = protectedMethodsCount;
 
       //... and set the longest
@@ -106,14 +106,14 @@ window.extractFromStock = function() {
 
     } else if (arrCount > groupMethodsCount) {
       // 2nd longest - store
-      window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods = arr;
+      window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods = arr;
       groupMethodsCount = arrCount;
     }
 
   }
 
 
-  if (niantic_params.CURRENT_VERSION === undefined || window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods.length == 0 || window.niantic_params.botguard_group_methods == 0) {
+  if (niantic_params.CURRENT_VERSION === undefined || window.niantic_params.botguard_protected_methods.length == 0 || window.niantic_params.botguard_group_a_methods == 0) {
     dialog({
       title: 'IITC Broken',
       html: '<p>IITC failed to extract the required parameters from the intel site</p>'
diff --git a/code/send_request.js b/code/send_request.js
index 0c41762f..f0da8098 100644
--- a/code/send_request.js
+++ b/code/send_request.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ window.postAjax = function(action, data, successCallback, errorCallback) {
 
   var onSuccess = function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
     window.requests.remove(jqXHR);
+    iitc_bg.process_response_params(action,data);
 
     // the Niantic server can return a HTTP success, but the JSON response contains an error. handle that sensibly
     if (data && data.error && data.error == 'out of date') {
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ window.postAjax = function(action, data, successCallback, errorCallback) {
   }
 
   var versionStr = niantic_params.CURRENT_VERSION;
-  var post_data = JSON.stringify($.extend({}, data, {v: versionStr, b: "", c: ""}));
+  var post_data = JSON.stringify($.extend({}, data, {v: versionStr}, iitc_bg.extra_request_params(action)));
 
   var result = $.ajax({
     url: '/r/'+action,