A laser comm signal is 'easy' to detect optically. Could even be detected with amateur scopes with the right CCD and computer accessories (from a single star). The SETI folks are looking for short pulses because the best 'game' strategy for a broadcasting civ wishing to beacon to emerging civs would be to take your lasers and 'ping' each of thousands of target stars in your sky with a few pulses of "Here we bees" message and rapidly move on to the next while scanning rapidly star to star for any return pings.

I still bet that we are the only technical civilization. Maybe even in the universe.