Not sure how anyone would back up this. I manage managers so see this first hand. I think you're creating a false dichotomy between talkytalky and coding. Good developers will code and be professional at the same time. How do you know that the niche tech guys that you know are "getting work done"? They're doing this.
This is not about spending time chatting up people all around the office and networking. It's about responding clearly when people ask you questions, when you have your 1:1 with your manager, and in how you write your emails, etc.
