I have this theory that it all goes back to Joel On Software's article from 2000 that said it you should find any possible reason to not hire people.

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000073.html grep for "no hire"

The things in that article that are today considered vastly out-of-fashion (probably too much, the same way they were too in-fashion in 2000) are numerous, but this "