Earlier quoted context omitted.
I indeed have hired people that approached me this way. Some other sources land directly into my inbox (such as StackOverflow or some niche job sites), but generally it's best to take as short a route as possible. Not many people do that, so it's not something I would hold against a candidate.
Most don't because it's taught that it's frowned upon. I don't mind at all if people try and connect. For a big company like mine, it's probably less of a risk than the ATS or the HR rep screening it out.
I think it makes a difference if you have an explainable excuse to do so - it makes it a lukewarm email instead of a cold one. "You posted your email on a hacker news job thread" or "You interviewed a friend of mine who suggested this" or "I met you at a tech conference and got a business card" or whatever.