In infinite wisdom Paul Blay answered:

"Rich" wrote ...

If we stumble upon ET, or they on us, then we can take it from
there. But what we have now is an infinite resource sink, and
while you and others don't have any problems with massive fiscal
irresponsibility,

The word 'massive' doesn't fit well with current SETI funding.
Small, tiny or insignificant would be closer.

There are many quite immodest proposals.

I like the current system, where both radio telescope time and
computer time are donated. I think it works for everyone. But
much of the discussion walks the slippery slope of more and more
and better and better searches. There is no end to it, and even
broaching the question of 'when should we stop' gets some upset.

I'm researching the SETI 2020 book that was mentioned in
Lou Scheffer's post. Look at this...

    http://www.spacedaily.com/news/seti-02d.html

    The Allen Telescope Array is a direct result of the
    SETI 2020 study. The working group recommended
    construction of a one-hectare (10,000 square meters)
    array of 350 six-meter telescopes that will allow for
    more powerful microwave SETI searches to be conducted
    simultaneously along with other types of radio
    astronomy. Recognizing a win-win situation, the SETI
    Institute and the University of California, Berkeley
    Radio Astronomy Lab joined forces to make the array
    a reality.

I don't know how much the Allen Telescope is going to cost,
or who's going to pay for it, or it's operation and staffing.
But I don't expect it could be classified as a "tiny or
insignificant" cost. YMMV.

It's curious that every year what's state of the art improves,
and last years state of the art gets cheaper. Long ago I
used a state of the art computer, as my 33MHZ 486 was just
barely fast enough, I updated often. Currently I use a
2GHZ P4, old, not very expensive, and solid. I would expect
that SETI would operate more efficiently in this mode, not
state of the art, but one generation or two behind. And every
once in a while, someone gets a brilliant idea and everything
changes for the better.

Rich

someday this madness is going to break the bank.