[001sky]

I would have found them a hell of a lot quicker.

There are two ways to read this: (1) as a marker; (2) as a filter. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the interplay. My guess is that there is some game theory on signalling at play on both sides here.

[Peroni]

It's genuinely very straightforward. If you don't have much of an online presence (github, twitter, blog, etc) then the only way I'm likely to find you is if a mutual contact tells me about you. Now, referrals are one of the best sources of excellent people and I'm not knocking that.

If you're constantly tweeting/blogging good quality content about an area of technology that is relevant to my business then of course I'm going to take notice. That, however, doesn't necessarily make you a better candidate by default, it just means you were easier to find.