Does the “punch card” analogy require that human characteristics and desired can be expressed in a standardized format?

Maybe we’re talking about different things with the word “networking”. In the context of academic research, “networking” means going to meetings, conferences, and departmental coffee hours and talking with other scientists about their work… or their administrative headaches, or whatever. Everyone understands that they are on the job. Also, we mainly interact as peers — at worst it is “student-professor”, but even then the professor recognizes that the student has his own, independent research project. Sometimes people are looking for jobs, sometimes people are recruiting, but that all just comes off as part of the normal academic career path.

So, it’s not at all unpleasant. It’s a good way to learn something new. It’s a good way to learn about potential collaborations.

I’d think that even for more standardized jobs that don’t have conferences (car repair, perhaps), that it’s good and proper to tell people “hey, I’m a mechanic” at a party and maybe discuss a few of the interesting aspects of the job. And if your car needs to be repaired, it is good and proper to take your business to the friend of a friend (i.e. that guy you met at a party) rather than a complete stranger.