I would have been inclined to agree with you in the past. I've had job offers as a direct result of my involvement with open source projects, and attending meet

I would have been inclined to agree with you in the past. I've had job offers as a direct result of my involvement with open source projects, and attending meetups. However, the job I'm currently interviewing for is far nicer than anything I've had before, and I just went through the standard process of applying via email. It's also nice to be able to apply for something that really interests you, instead of just relying on the opportunities provided by people in your network.