I mean this of course all plays into the assumption that hiring is anyway a big circus where nobody actually knows anything and are just guessing. But I do seem to see a lot of that assumption being made.

On the other hand, I wouldn't discard it in principle. The comments history of a user says a lot about the user's ideas and approach to discussions/debates.

HN shaped the way I discuss/debate more than anything else in my life, so there can be a significant value in it.

I use a résumé/CV sometimes, but I have found that those places which require one take a long time to process applications and enquiries compared with those places that don't require one, with the result that the latter places have ended up hiring me while the former places are still working up to their third interview or whatever.

In the end the résumé/CV is good to keep going as a hedge, and multiple applications are good for peace of mind, but (maybe it's just by chance) it hasn't ended up used by places I ended up working for for some years now.

I figure having a searchable track record is one of the reasons it's working out that way, and HN is part of that. Other public locations similarly, such as dev mailing lists, issue comments, etc. It's not why I write here, but it is a motivation to write thoughtfully while keeping it real, and I am mindful that a future employer may read what I write :)