It eliminates the weaknesses inherent in the old style of references that become so watered down they are useless.

CNN: Do references really matter?

"Tracking down my previous references proved problematic since many of the companies were Internet start-ups that have gone out of business, " Spenser says.

CNN: Five ways to refresh your outdated network

VMware (nyse: VMW - news - people ) had hardly finished announcing that its chief executive, Diane Greene, was stepping down when the company pulled references to the co-founder off its Web site and put up the bio of its incoming chief executive, Paul Maritz.

FORBES: Why VMware Dumped Diane Greene