Honestly, I suspect the open office was an inevitable evolution. In a world where businesses are relentlessly looking for efficiencies, cramming as many people

Honestly, I suspect the open office was an inevitable evolution. In a world where businesses are relentlessly looking for efficiencies, cramming as many people into a space as possible just makes economic sense. So long as the net benefit in space savings isn't counteracted by the net loss in productivity, open offices will win out. All the BS about enabling "collaboration" or "creativity" is just a retroactive justification for what is fundamentally an economic decision. The bright side is its a good reminder to all employees: if you work for a company that insists on open office space, odds are very good you're viewed by management as just an interchangeable cog in an economic machine.