I personally feel that cubicles are the worst of both worlds. You get none of the privacy and sound isolation of a private space, but you don't get the friction

I personally feel that cubicles are the worst of both worlds. You get none of the privacy and sound isolation of a private space, but you don't get the frictionless collaboration and socialization of an open office. I felt like I was socially isolated and living in the hell of hearing the conversation of the "that guy" through the wall without being able to give him any subtle social cues.