As for me, there’s no obligation to follow up on internal apps but it’s not a bad idea to do so. I am at a disadvantage in my attitude to networking here, where I assume an internal app means people know you have applied and who you are. It squicks me to do the informal outreach to a hiring manager when there is an application process. I don’t really see how (objectively) that makes a difference except when selections aren’t objective (whic never happens)
