Request.raw_pos Problem

Hi people i have a very strange problem.

I am using a lifesearch function which you can place some text in.
Only When i get the Post in the Controller the variable gives me this

placedtext= … The equal sign gets placed at the end of the
variable.(FFS)

This is My Livesearch code which is placed in the view.

Search:

 <%= text_field_tag :searchtext %>

<%= observe_field(:searchtext,
:frequency => 4.0,
:update => :search_hits,
:loading => " Element.show(‘spinner’)",
:complete => “Element.hide(‘spinner’)” ,
:url => { :controller => “domain”, :action => “domain_search” }) %>

This is the code that gets the post variable so i can do stuff with it.

@entered_text= request.raw_post || request.query_string (actually both
give the same result)

When i do puts @entered_text ic for example nerd4life.nl= instead of
just nerd4life.nl

Gsub did not work an split functions also do not remove the = sign…
:’(

I used this function before and stupid enough it did not do it like
that(and i am sure it aint the drugs that i have been taking to ease the
pain ).
The only difference is i work on a Imac instead of Windows XP but i
guess thats not the problem aswel… Hope someone can help me out, or
i have to go back to a sumbit button again.

Greets

Vincent