string sAddress = "http://hitsparkinteractive.com/api.php";

            // Get the hash
            string addrParams = "action=authenticate";
            addrParams += "&username=" + user;
            addrParams += "&password=" + pwd;

            WebRequest webRequest = WebRequest.Create(sAddress + "?" + addrParams);
            webRequest.Timeout = 3000;
            WebResponse webResponse = webRequest.GetResponse();

            JObject retJSON;
            retJSON = JObject.Parse(webResponse.ToString());

Dim HTTP As WinHttpRequest, sAddress As String, addrParams As String
 Dim JSONParser As Object, retJSON As String, ErrorCode As String, ErrorMsg          As String

 On Error Resume Next

 sAddress = "http://hitsparkinteractive.com/api.php"

 addrParams = "action=authenticate"
 addrParams = addrParams & "&username=" & Username
 addrParams = addrParams & "&password=" & Password

 Set HTTP = New WinHttpRequest
 HTTP.Open "GET", sAddress & "?" & addrParams, False
 HTTP.SetTimeouts 250, 250, 250, 3000
 HTTP.Send

 retJSON = HTTP.ResponseText
 Set HTTP = Nothing