Very important topic right now, thanks for writing.

Thanks — hope you enjoyed the post!

An agent will help you: find the opportunities that are actually interesting to you, get the info from recruiters you really want (like compensation) upfront while keeping you anonymous, and help you negotiate salary.

Thanks! Always in need of inspiration. Which attempts are you referring to specifically?

The usual suspects riding the PR machine:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/24/programmers-pri...

http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/26/were-no-rock-stars-meet-si...

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2886735/it-careers/should-y...