People are free to network right here on HN, and they do. I placed a friend I found here with another friend, so it does work.

However, it takes time.

If you need a job right now, it won't happen via ordinary networking, by which I mean networking with people whose job isn't recruitment.

If you think of networking as a pleasant way to keep some interesting ideas flowing and making some friends, circulation will get you things that you never even thought of.

(The best professional recruiters actually stir the pot for years and years before getting a return. Constantly keeping up with what various people are doing, just in case the time is right for someone to move on.)

I'm actually a bit surprised, because as a young guy I didn't do any networking beyond connecting with colleagues, which certainly helped. But I'm finding lots of young guys will reach out to me for advice. It's a good habit, but one I suspect more than half the population doesn't practice.