Jobs search engines and profile pics - what's really good?!?

The clock on my current location is winding down.  For those who know me personally, know the situation concerning my need to get away.  Yes, I have a confession to make, I am a runner. When things get to where I can't stand them, I leave. Don't judge me!

Now back to the main issue...

In my recent search for a new place to call home, I noticed an interesting trend on career sites.  I am not going to name the sites right now because I am not up on all that legal crap. But it's one of the popular ones.  They have an option to post a picture to your profile.  Now I get why this option seems like a great idea.  I mean why  not all of the social networking sites are doing it.  But is it really? Is my appearance as important as my credentials?  I understand companies hire people who they feel properly represent them but let's examine this more closely.  Are individuals who are aesthetically pleasing more likely to get more opportunities than their less appealing counterparts?  What about who is more qualified?  Yes, you make think I am reading to far into this, but I know it happens.  I have seen posts on this before and it seems to be a steadily growing trend.  This also applies to race identification as well.  I am a Black American female and I know individuals who remove identifiers from their resumes in hopes to sterilize it.  This is usually accomplished by removing all the black professional societies or abbreviating names to something less boisterous.  So if we have to go through this already, why why would we upload a photograph to increase the probability of getting overlooked by an employer based on appearance.  This could lead to another level of racial profiling.  Anyways, I personally like to see the expression on a hiring manager's face when the credentials on the resume culminates into someone totally unexpected.  The interviewers spend the entire time trying to get over the initial shock.  Posting my photo gets rid of the excitement for me.

So NO!!! I am not uploading my picture during my job search.  I want to be chosen by the skills listed in black as it appears on the screen.  I am not going to make the decision for them that easy...I'm just saying...