It's funny, I was thinking about interviewing yesterday and Scoble blogged about it last night. 

<rant>

The experience that he describes is one that happens all too often.  I have been through way to many interviews for anyones own good over the past few years.  Before coming to Microsoft, I completed over 50 interviews -- more than a dozen being "call-backs" so to say where you end up in an interview loop at someones office.  It AMAZED me at how poorly they treat you.  They spend so much $$ to fly you over, take you out, interview you, etc. and then at the end of the day they drop you off and your done.  With call-back's you at least have a 50% chance of hearing back within the timeline they state.  For first-round interviews, or at-large requests, you'd be lucky if they acknowledged that they ever intereviewed you in the first place.

I've had this experience with all kinds of companies -- investment banks, commercial banks, consulting firms, tech firms (even microsoft) -- everyone is guilty.

I always respected the companies that sent letters or emails in a timely fashion.  Even better, the ones who had the decency to call and tell me results.  I know it is hard to give bad news, but have some common courtesey.  It sends a really bad message -- and it sticks with you.  (I'm still bitter to this day!).

HR: this is a process issue, fix it, it can't be that hard.

</rant>