It's just people thinking who like to look outside the box -
including the "traditional" SETI box - doing so out loud, Phil.

Most of the human populace doesn't care about anything past
American Idol. Most scientists won't get near it and only those who
want to plunge their careers off a cliff would ever seriously suggest
that a strange-looking (what is strange looking in a cosmic context?)
galaxy might be the work of an advanced society. So what are you
worried about?

It beats reading the same old stuff I have seen about SETI for
decades and at least addresses the possibility that a species
which gets more advanced than us might be more than just
creatures with bigger heads but the same ol' behaviors ala
Star Trek.

So this world is on your side, Phil. Let the minority have a little
intellectual fun. Who knows, maybe our descendants will do
exactly what we think others might be doing out there.

And be honest - would you recognize an engineered galaxy if
you saw one? Or even just an inhabited one?