[al_gore]

I don't know if agents would work - they work in movies because you shoot one, then wrap and move on to the next one. An agent can be constantly looking out for new films to work in. Unless you're exclusively seeking short-term contract positions, will you actually communicate with the agent frequently enough to build a relationship? If an agent keeps placing you in companies that either implode or make you want to leave, it doesn't seem appealing to work with them again. If they do place you in a job that you stay at for multiple years, will they be available when you want to move on?

[aeberbach]

I could see it working with the best recruiters, like the few I mentioned. They call every six months or so, ask how things are going and chat about technology, that's fine with me. Sometimes they have something really good to discuss, and if I'm happy where I am then I am always willing to recommend someone I know. Those recruiters are acting like an agent already. They rarely collect a fee but when they do I feel they deserve it, unlike the chancers who harvest phone numbers from web sites and work the percentages.

There doesn't have to be an agent relationship. I guess what I am really saying is that the only recruiters worth talking to are the ones that do the work to find the best fit for both parties. The rest add nothing.