[eloff]

This seems to me like shining a laser pointer randomly up into the sky and hoping someone from a passing plane sees it?

Is this practical given the vastness of space and the directionaality of this laser?

[Johnny555]

Let's hope that there are no interstellar laws against shining lasers at other star systems.

[maxxxxx]

The Vogons may come by and destroy Earth.

[ridgeguy]

I'll knowingly violate HN's rules to say that's a Vogon conclusion.

[angry_octet]

Is there a rule against humour? Or puns? I thought it was just a sect of users who are also Wikipedia editors.

[richardbdrowley]

There is a rule against anything that doesn't make Sam Altman richer or more acutely aware of the startup landscape.

[joezydeco]

Well not just a plane passing overhead, a plane passing overhead 200 years from now.

Maybe we should be aiming the big laser at Oumuamua. With a big HEY COME BACK HERE message.

[rdtsc]

I've wondered if that was the purpose of the "probe". To see if anyone follows it, or otherwise interacts with it. Let's say you know there is a habitable planet, but you don't want to land there first, instead send a probe and see if the planet reacts to it. If they do, it would indicate a rather advanced civilization.