I think the previous thread dealt with detecting client shutdown, so that long-running queries could be stopped in the hope of reclaiming resources, and the conclusion was that the way AOLserver had implemented reads from the client, that it was impossible to determine whether the client bailed.
If you're looking to provide feedback, you can do crude stuff if you write your response using ns_write instead of one of the ns_return brothers. Otherwise, you're looking at a Java applet, ActiveX control, or perhaps a Flash thingy that would converse with the server to determine progress and report it, if you want the client to maintain a connection. The remaining solution is to accept the request and give the client a means of ascertaining status later, such as a bookmarkable status screen or email.
