I think the real problem with SETI is its passive nature. It is merely looking for signals that may be from extraterrestrial intelligences passively.

I quite like the idea of Active SETI where we would be sending our own signal and looking for a reply. Of course either way would also have the problem of time. It would take a while to receive a signal. So long that its entirely possible by the time anyone got it, the people that sent it are already gone.