I used a Java tool called RadUpload ( http://www.radinks.com/upload/docs.php ) last year sometime. It requires some modern-ish java be installed (ie something more current than the win2k dev machine I had access to at work).

You configure the Java applet to draw a box on the webpage and you set a parameter with a URL to post HTTP form data to. The user can then drag and drop files or directories onto that box on the webpage (assuming windows, osx, or a window manager that does that sort of thing).

Yes I said directories. The java program sends the entire path info with each file. Then the CGI program can figure out where to copy the POST file data.

Anyway the whole point is that this Java tool draws a progress bar on the client side based on how much data has been sent. Logically this job belongs on the client and not via periodic requests to the server. I have no idea why browsers don't just incorporate progress meters on file uploads.