// EXAMPLE USAGE:
// <textarea id="description" runat="server" rows="10" cols="50" wrap="hard" onKeyUp="limitTextArea(this,'description_count',1500)"></textarea>
// <div id="description_count" style="text-align:right;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</div>
// * JUST MAKE SURE YOU NAME THE COUNTER FIELD APPROPRIATELY, USING THE TEXTAREA'S ID AND THEN "_counter".
function limitTextArea( inTextarea, inLimit )
{
    //alert("inTextarea: " + inTextarea.id);
    //alert("inLimit: " + inLimit);
    val = inTextarea.value;
    if (val.length > inLimit) 
    {
        inTextarea.value = val.substring(0,inLimit);
        alert("Sorry, you are over the limit of " + inLimit + " characters");
        inTextarea.focus()
    }
    document.getElementById( inTextarea.id + "_counter" ).innerHTML = "(" + (inLimit - parseInt(inTextarea.value.length) + " characters remaining)");
}