3 ms·

Cubicles were considered the worst of both worlds. No proper privacy because there is not enough sound blocking and the faux walls isolate people and prevent co

by amalag 9y ago

Cubicles were considered the worst of both worlds. No proper privacy because there is not enough sound blocking and the faux walls isolate people and prevent collaboration.

TeMPOraL 9y ago
I wonder why. I think they provide enough privacy for a workplace (as long as you're allowed to use headphones for extra sound blocking, and as long as the entry is to your side, not behind you) - the only way to get even more would be closed-door offices, but that takes much more floor space. As for "collaboration", at this point I consider talking about it as a negative thing about a place. I mean, frankly, I know "collaborating" is fun and games, but at some point somebody has to sit down, focus, and write the fucking code.
- wpietri 9y ago
  Having worked for years in a pair programming environment, I am pretty sure you can get a lot of code written collaboratively. Indeed, even though I'm an introvert, pair programming teams with frequent pair rotation (pairing with 2-3 people per day) is my favorite way to work because I think we end up with better code.
  - maxxxxx 9y ago
    Pair programming is fine. It's real collaboration. But just sitting in one big room while doing their own work is not collaboration.
    - wpietri 9y ago
      Sure, I totally agree. I was responding to the introduced false dichotomy: collaborating vs writing the code.
- klibertp 9y ago
  > as long as the entry is to your side, not behind you I had a place like this once, close to the room entrance with the door to my left. It wasn't a cubicle but room for 4-5 people; I was just the last one to start working there and couldn't pick another desk. It was generally quiet and, with headphones, I could've easily gotten into the zone... if not for the people walking down the hallway (the door was left open most of the time). Every time I saw a glimpse of someone in the hallway I, reflexively and involuntarily, turned my head to see who's there. I think it would be easier to get used to and ignore if the door was behind me - but seeing someone from the corner of my eye induced a response, every single time. We all know how little things may turn into productivity killers. After a while, I thought that maybe it's not pattern-matching faces that is so distracting (our brains are supposedly well equipped for this), maybe it's just the motion needed to turn my head away from my monitor? I found a small mirror somewhere, pretty similar to this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Goody-Start-Style-Finish-Two-Sided-Mirror/44730344 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Goody-Start-Style-Finish-Two-Side..., and set it up on my desk, just next to the monitor, in a way that allowed me to see the door and a good chunk of the hallway. It may be hard to believe, but it did solve the problem for me. A sub-second glance at the mirror was enough to register who's coming, after a couple of days I was doing it reflexively without even thinking about it, like when driving a car. Later, when I changed seats, I actually missed my mirror and the ability to effortlessly scan my surroundings. Well, it could have been a placebo effect, and my co-workers (the ones from other rooms, ie. the ones I was "spying on") didn't like it that much, but it may worth a try if one's getting desperate :)

by amalag 9y ago

Cubicles were considered the worst of both worlds. No proper privacy because there is not enough sound blocking and the faux walls isolate people and prevent collaboration.

TeMPOraL 9y ago

I wonder why. I think they provide enough privacy for a workplace (as long as you're allowed to use headphones for extra sound blocking, and as long as the entry is to your side, not behind you) - the only way to get even more would be closed-door offices, but that takes much more floor space. As for "collaboration", at this point I consider talking about it as a negative thing about a place. I mean, frankly, I know "collaborating" is fun and games, but at some point somebody has to sit down, focus, and write the fucking code.

wpietri 9y ago
Having worked for years in a pair programming environment, I am pretty sure you can get a lot of code written collaboratively. Indeed, even though I'm an introvert, pair programming teams with frequent pair rotation (pairing with 2-3 people per day) is my favorite way to work because I think we end up with better code.
- maxxxxx 9y ago
  Pair programming is fine. It's real collaboration. But just sitting in one big room while doing their own work is not collaboration.
  - wpietri 9y ago
    Sure, I totally agree. I was responding to the introduced false dichotomy: collaborating vs writing the code.
klibertp 9y ago
> as long as the entry is to your side, not behind you I had a place like this once, close to the room entrance with the door to my left. It wasn't a cubicle but room for 4-5 people; I was just the last one to start working there and couldn't pick another desk. It was generally quiet and, with headphones, I could've easily gotten into the zone... if not for the people walking down the hallway (the door was left open most of the time). Every time I saw a glimpse of someone in the hallway I, reflexively and involuntarily, turned my head to see who's there. I think it would be easier to get used to and ignore if the door was behind me - but seeing someone from the corner of my eye induced a response, every single time. We all know how little things may turn into productivity killers. After a while, I thought that maybe it's not pattern-matching faces that is so distracting (our brains are supposedly well equipped for this), maybe it's just the motion needed to turn my head away from my monitor? I found a small mirror somewhere, pretty similar to this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Goody-Start-Style-Finish-Two-Sided-Mirror/44730344 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Goody-Start-Style-Finish-Two-Side..., and set it up on my desk, just next to the monitor, in a way that allowed me to see the door and a good chunk of the hallway. It may be hard to believe, but it did solve the problem for me. A sub-second glance at the mirror was enough to register who's coming, after a couple of days I was doing it reflexively without even thinking about it, like when driving a car. Later, when I changed seats, I actually missed my mirror and the ability to effortlessly scan my surroundings. Well, it could have been a placebo effect, and my co-workers (the ones from other rooms, ie. the ones I was "spying on") didn't like it that much, but it may worth a try if one's getting desperate :)