Did I say it was the same thing? If you think that, you can't read. But no, go ahead and use some of your obvious social finesse and let me know how the mystery of networking and its meaning has eluded me for the 50 years I've been alive. Ya punk. And then tell me how a person who contacts, and stays in contact with, many people at many companies, and many workers, in a certain field (a.k.a. a "recruiter") isn't doing networking for you.