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To those complaining about the commute. You’re complaining about city and transportation architecture, not workplace design. We are social creatures. I don’t u

To those complaining about the commute. You’re complaining about city and transportation architecture, not workplace design. We are social creatures. I don’t understand the complete lack of addressing the issue: 8 hours a day I’m cut off from people except virtually. Prisons that force virtual visitation are criticized for this exact issue.

cromka 7y ago
You don't have to work 8 hours non-stop. You can leave, meet friends (i.e. people you actually want to spend time with, not do because you have no one else) at lunch, talk to family, talk to neighbors, go to the gym, walk the dog, go for a swim (if you happen to live by the water) and still interact with people. But that implies you actually do have a social circle outside of your workplace or social abilities. If you don't have those, I doubt your workplace will provide any meaningful, organic interaction opportunities, either.
pojzon 7y ago
I would not agree. I simply loath the open space office.. We are cramped up like industry workers in 1880.. Yes we are social creatures and we need DIFFERENT levels of interaction with others. BUT we are not cattle to cramp us up desk to desk.
buboard 7y ago
> You’re complaining about city and transportation architecture, not workplace design. More like, complaining that the whole design of modern city life is around work. As more and more people work remotely, cities will change, habits will change. People who work at home have been largely neglected for decades; we feel out of sync with cities and other people, almost marginalized. This has to change.
okmokmz 7y ago
You're really comparing prisons that only allow virtual communication to working remotely? Lets brainstorm a list of ways that you can see people while working from home that you couldn't from prison. 1. If you have any family members that will be home throughout the day you can see them 2. You can step outside and talk to your neighbors 3. You can take a 10 minute break to walk to a local store/park 4. You can go out to lunch at restaurant 5. You can invite anyone to come over at any time 6. Before and after work, you can go anywhere you want, do anything you want, and see anyone you want as well as on weekends So it seems it's not quite like a prison... not to mention you can also call, text, video chat, IM, or communicate virtually at any time rather than only during certain periods of time with certain people as told by the prison. Also, if you're working in an office, how much time are you actually spending socializing and interacting with coworkers vs getting your work done? I understand that some people have a need to interact with people daily, but many of us prefer the quiet/isolation while we work, and comparing remote work to prison is ridiculous
- bradlys 7y ago
  Many people need more than just their immediate family. Neighbors are a terrible source of social interaction. Where I am, our neighbors refuse to interact with us except to complain about something like noise or street parking. Been to a park during the day? It's nanny's and mom's. How many are going to be like, "yeah, random dude approaching me and trying to chat me up. Great!" Most are sketched out unless you got a kid with you. I've been in this situation and they look at you very weirdly. (How desperate must you be to go to a park to chat with moms?) Lunch requires friends who also can do such a thing. I go out to lunch with coworkers very often. You can invite anyone who isn't working or can work remotely with you. Sure, I did do this for a bit. I'd drive 30 minutes away to see my friend and we'd work remotely together about once a week. But then I was actually going further than my commute to work! Hah! And so can anyone with a non remote job. You can have the quiet and isolation while not working remotely. It's just that it's not valued in many workplaces anymore. BTW, I don't get how people think that working remotely means isolation and quiet?? When I worked remotely, there were plenty of days where I had to take tons of long Skype calls, had to chat endlessly with people over IM, and then send more emails on top of it. I barely got any "work" done and didn't get to focus because everything required my attention. Isolation and quiet is more than an environment. It includes details around a culture around workplace communication styles and how much you prioritize immediate responses.
  - okmokmz 7y ago
    Those were obviously just examples demonstrating that his comparison was absurd. Do you really agree with him that remote work is as bad as prisons that only allow virtual visitation?
CGamesPlay 7y ago
People are in prisons for substantially longer than 8 hours / day and don’t take weekends off. I don’t think equating “being alone working for 8 hours” to “a prison with only virtual visits” is helpful.
wilsonnb3 7y ago
> Prisons that force virtual visitation are criticized for this exact issue. Well, yeah, there is a difference between forcing everyone to do something and letting people choose to do something.
malvosenior 7y ago
If you have a family it means you get to spend the day socializing with people you really want to be around (spouse, kids...) instead of your coworkers (some of whom I may want to be around, but not really for most of them). I also absolutely hate working with people who think that work is a place to get all of their social engagement. I don't need any more friends and I definitely don't need any out of work socialization with my co-workers or during work time that looks like socialization (parties, events...).
JSavageReal 7y ago
How is staring at a computer for 8 hours in an office any different from staring at a computer for 8 hours in a co-working space or coffee shop? I prefer the freedom to choose where I'll work from today.

cromka 7y ago

You don't have to work 8 hours non-stop. You can leave, meet friends (i.e. people you actually want to spend time with, not do because you have no one else) at lunch, talk to family, talk to neighbors, go to the gym, walk the dog, go for a swim (if you happen to live by the water) and still interact with people. But that implies you actually do have a social circle outside of your workplace or social abilities. If you don't have those, I doubt your workplace will provide any meaningful, organic interaction opportunities, either.

pojzon 7y ago

I would not agree. I simply loath the open space office.. We are cramped up like industry workers in 1880.. Yes we are social creatures and we need DIFFERENT levels of interaction with others. BUT we are not cattle to cramp us up desk to desk.

buboard 7y ago

> You’re complaining about city and transportation architecture, not workplace design. More like, complaining that the whole design of modern city life is around work. As more and more people work remotely, cities will change, habits will change. People who work at home have been largely neglected for decades; we feel out of sync with cities and other people, almost marginalized. This has to change.

okmokmz 7y ago

You're really comparing prisons that only allow virtual communication to working remotely? Lets brainstorm a list of ways that you can see people while working from home that you couldn't from prison. 1. If you have any family members that will be home throughout the day you can see them 2. You can step outside and talk to your neighbors 3. You can take a 10 minute break to walk to a local store/park 4. You can go out to lunch at restaurant 5. You can invite anyone to come over at any time 6. Before and after work, you can go anywhere you want, do anything you want, and see anyone you want as well as on weekends So it seems it's not quite like a prison... not to mention you can also call, text, video chat, IM, or communicate virtually at any time rather than only during certain periods of time with certain people as told by the prison. Also, if you're working in an office, how much time are you actually spending socializing and interacting with coworkers vs getting your work done? I understand that some people have a need to interact with people daily, but many of us prefer the quiet/isolation while we work, and comparing remote work to prison is ridiculous

bradlys 7y ago
Many people need more than just their immediate family. Neighbors are a terrible source of social interaction. Where I am, our neighbors refuse to interact with us except to complain about something like noise or street parking. Been to a park during the day? It's nanny's and mom's. How many are going to be like, "yeah, random dude approaching me and trying to chat me up. Great!" Most are sketched out unless you got a kid with you. I've been in this situation and they look at you very weirdly. (How desperate must you be to go to a park to chat with moms?) Lunch requires friends who also can do such a thing. I go out to lunch with coworkers very often. You can invite anyone who isn't working or can work remotely with you. Sure, I did do this for a bit. I'd drive 30 minutes away to see my friend and we'd work remotely together about once a week. But then I was actually going further than my commute to work! Hah! And so can anyone with a non remote job. You can have the quiet and isolation while not working remotely. It's just that it's not valued in many workplaces anymore. BTW, I don't get how people think that working remotely means isolation and quiet?? When I worked remotely, there were plenty of days where I had to take tons of long Skype calls, had to chat endlessly with people over IM, and then send more emails on top of it. I barely got any "work" done and didn't get to focus because everything required my attention. Isolation and quiet is more than an environment. It includes details around a culture around workplace communication styles and how much you prioritize immediate responses.
- okmokmz 7y ago
  Those were obviously just examples demonstrating that his comparison was absurd. Do you really agree with him that remote work is as bad as prisons that only allow virtual visitation?

CGamesPlay 7y ago

People are in prisons for substantially longer than 8 hours / day and don’t take weekends off. I don’t think equating “being alone working for 8 hours” to “a prison with only virtual visits” is helpful.

wilsonnb3 7y ago

> Prisons that force virtual visitation are criticized for this exact issue. Well, yeah, there is a difference between forcing everyone to do something and letting people choose to do something.

malvosenior 7y ago

If you have a family it means you get to spend the day socializing with people you really want to be around (spouse, kids...) instead of your coworkers (some of whom I may want to be around, but not really for most of them). I also absolutely hate working with people who think that work is a place to get all of their social engagement. I don't need any more friends and I definitely don't need any out of work socialization with my co-workers or during work time that looks like socialization (parties, events...).

JSavageReal 7y ago

How is staring at a computer for 8 hours in an office any different from staring at a computer for 8 hours in a co-working space or coffee shop? I prefer the freedom to choose where I'll work from today.