Networking - is it really important?

Networking is a word thrown around like bad appetizers. It sounds ok, but is it really good for you?
YES. You may think you have all the skills you need to do your job, and you may, for now. But tomorrow is never guaranteed, and you may be building plans for a new house instead of coding a site to control inventory, it helps to know people. You never know what you might need, but never doubt, you will need to have a resource besides your brain to ping.
Shy or not, go to the recruiters in your town to see what they know. You will have user groups, names of community leaders, and popular sites that can help you in any industry with a quick meet an greet. I may never call the guy in Texas, but if he needs to call me for help and I am later planning a vacation in his town, you bet that I'm calling to see if the resort is really 'on the beach' or washed up.
You don't have to make friends or marry the peeps you network with, you just need to remember their names and occasionally remember that what they don't know now could help you later. Technology moves at the speed of light and no one can know everything, but getting involved, volunteering with agencies on your downtime will go along way if you want to find other options for your career or life as it goes on. I know what you are thinking; I have no downtime, I have 3 kids, I don't sleep, how the f*ck can I fit in putting on my happy face to pretend to like people that I may never talk to?
Hear me out. Once a month, once a year, just go and try to attend something and shake hands, get a few email addresses, and then communicate. At 3am when you are beating your head against the wall quietly as the family sleeps and your server is down, broadcast an SOS to those email addresses. Anyone in IT knows, it's not what you know, it's who you know, and at 3 am, if you know someone that sleeps with a smartphone by their bed and is on-call themselves, they will understand where you're coming from. I am always amazed to get responses back from people around the world who I've never met, or only worked with once or twice, so be appreciative, even if you get a reply that doesn't help.
Networking can mean skipping that second, third and sometimes group interview, so be full proof. Check your Linked In, Dig, blogs, fb, and twitter accounts for random pics that may offend others before you pile on the communication. Networking is a different version of your resume, make sure it shines and impresses, you will go much further without posting the beer pong pics, I promise. If your name is Weiner, see a judge, get it changed, you will have a stigma anywhere you go, otherwise, be prepared to strategize conversation topics about your life as seen on the web.
Networking today also means relationships tomorrow, so if you are happy coding away in a corner; wake up and realize you want a family or someone to watch your dog, there is a better chance to look around from the contacts who know you than trying to pick up milk and a date. Great minds think alike, and if you are willing to put in the effort to be known among your local community for technology, civic duties, volunteering, or even a run club, you will find more people to brainstorm and pontificate about all the life haps.