[RadioAstronomer]

I find it odd that people view SETI as an acceptable attempt at discerning intelligence,

Except SETI is looking for a known type of signal that is only generated by artificial means. (Does not require the "God in the gaps" idea).

[Exnihilo]

that is only generated by artificial means

Has this claim been empirically verified? No? Gosh, that's not 'scientific'.

[cookcounty]

"Except SETI is looking for a known type of signal that is only generated by artificial means."

Hmmm. So RadioAstronomer has an exhaustive list of all possible types of naturally-occurring signals? Wow.

I don't see how this is different from what ID does.

[Dimensio]

Except SETI is looking for a known type of signal that is only generated by artificial means. (Does not require the "God in the gaps" idea).

There's also that many years ago a signal from space was detected and it was believed that it could only have come from an articifical source. They were called LGMs.

They were renamed "pulsars" after it was discovered that they were actually a type of star -- an example of scientists noting and correcting the mistakes of the past.

Thus if SETI finds something, it will still be subject to intense scrutiny.