jquery.modalmsg provides an easy API interface for using modal dialogs to help users be patient by letting them know what is happening.

Provide HTML for the dialog:

<div id="ModalMessage" class="hide">
    <center>
		<img src="/images/ajax-loader.gif" src="...loading..." />
	</center>
</div>

Setting a message will open the dialog:

$("#ModalMessage").modalmsg("Loading something...");

Setting another message will update the dialog:

$("#ModalMessage").modalmsg("Reticulating splines...");

Close the modal message like so:

$("#ModalMessage").modalmsg("close");