How would you communicate with ETs?
How would ET's communicat with us?
Are we asking the wrong question (given that we are searching for intelligent life; (SETI)?
It is only very recently that mankind developed the techniques as we have for extraterrestrial communication (radio, for example), other than simple eyesight. If one "ranked" the technological abilities of the various life-forms (however many there may be) that can communicate across space, we earthly humans, being the neophytes, would rank at the very bottom of the bell curve. The vast majority would be, by longer-extended study and experience, far more able than we to communicate over vast gaps of space and of culture.
It follows that our efforts are better devoted to studying how to detect their communications, not how to develop our own. The proper question, I'd think, is not, "How would you communicate with ETI's?" but rather "How would ETI's communicate with us?" Considering that question, we are better able to set up facilities appropriate to detect whatever communications may be coming our way.
In other words, it would be more efficient for us to work on optimizing our ability to listen, not our ability to talk.
