public static int maxNumDiffUsers = 5; // different users as avaialble below

        public static string makeTestItem(string forumId, int index)
        {

            System.Random RandNum = new System.Random();
            int inputRating = RandNum.Next(1, 5);
            string ratingString = "";
            string ratingScore = "";
            string postData = testUtils_ratingsAPI.makeEntryPostXml_minimal(ref ratingString, ref ratingScore);
            string url = makeCreatePostUrl(forumId);

            DnaTestURLRequest theRequest = new DnaTestURLRequest(testUtils_CommentsAPI.sitename);
            theRequest.UseIdentitySignIn = true;

            switch (index)
            {
                case 0: theRequest.SetCurrentUserNormal(); break;
                case 1: theRequest.SetCurrentUserNotableUser(); break;
                case 2: theRequest.SetCurrentUserModerator(); break;
                case 3: theRequest.SetCurrentUserProfileTest(); break;
                case 4: theRequest.SetCurrentUserEditor(); break;
                default: Assert.Fail("Can only set up 5 different users. Other users are particularly special"); break;
            }

            try
            {
                theRequest.RequestPageWithFullURL(url, postData, "text/xml");
            }
            catch
            {
                string resp = theRequest.GetLastResponseAsString();
            }

            Assert.IsTrue(theRequest.CurrentWebResponse.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.OK,
                "Error making test rating entity. Expecting " + HttpStatusCode.OK +
                " as response, got " + theRequest.CurrentWebResponse.StatusCode + "\n" +
                theRequest.CurrentWebResponse.StatusDescription
                );

            RatingInfo inf = (RatingInfo)StringUtils.DeserializeObject(theRequest.GetLastResponseAsString(), typeof(RatingInfo));

            return inf.ID.ToString();
        }