I actually don’t mind this length of comments (less is okay, but sometimes too vague, and starting at double that length it definitely feels like too much).
Overall, I see your point, but I think it depends on what kind of strategy the spreading superintelligence is using and on what wars would look like in general. For example, the universe probably mostly doesn’t resist, so it might be sending small “conversion” probes everywhere to expand as fast as possible. In that case, any actual opponent might be able to easily repel them and start getting ready to present a serious defence by the time any dedicated offensive force is sent, so the additional forewarning of having a signal travel slightly further ahead wouldn’t really change anything, and might prevent an opponent from emerging in the first place.
(On the other hand, maybe the conversion probes it sends are smart enough to detect any signal originating from their destination and stop flying/change course if it looks like it might resist. But maybe any superintelligence is on the lookout for extremely fast-travelling objects that behave like this and would notice anyway.)
I actually don’t mind this length of comments (less is okay, but sometimes too vague, and starting at double that length it definitely feels like too much).
Overall, I see your point, but I think it depends on what kind of strategy the spreading superintelligence is using and on what wars would look like in general. For example, the universe probably mostly doesn’t resist, so it might be sending small “conversion” probes everywhere to expand as fast as possible. In that case, any actual opponent might be able to easily repel them and start getting ready to present a serious defence by the time any dedicated offensive force is sent, so the additional forewarning of having a signal travel slightly further ahead wouldn’t really change anything, and might prevent an opponent from emerging in the first place.
(On the other hand, maybe the conversion probes it sends are smart enough to detect any signal originating from their destination and stop flying/change course if it looks like it might resist. But maybe any superintelligence is on the lookout for extremely fast-travelling objects that behave like this and would notice anyway.)