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This is pure hell for people who actually do work, and often repeated by managers who don't "get it." Silly questions are not the genesis of good ideas, they're
by lawnchair_larry 13y ago
This is pure hell for people who actually do work, and often repeated by managers who don't "get it." Silly questions are not the genesis of good ideas, they're a denial of service attack on good work.
Read Peopleware.
- thejosh 13y agoGreat term, does that make when multiple people ask you questions a distributed denial of service?
- j-b 13y agoAgreed. Also, trying not to listen to others conversations about the latest TV shows, etc. whilst trying to code negatively affects productivity and can generate some hostility towards the chattier folks in the office. Good, closed-ear headphones are a must.
- gdilla 13y agoknow thyself. If proximity distractions are too much, go somewhere else where you can have privacy if you need heightened focus for some block of time - a couch, stay at home, the library, a conf room, etc.
- izacus 13y agoOr... you know... your own office.
- mh_yam 13y agoProblem is, many of the places which have the worst types of open plan also seem to be the most allergic to things like working from home and quiet rooms. Also, many people who work in them don't have the luxury of going to a couch or quiet room.
- ljak 13y ago"Let them eat cakes"
- RyJones 13y agoIt's amazing all the managers get offices but the ICs get productivity-enhancing cubes.
- jaredmcateer 13y agoNot mine. Everyone right up to Senior Director are embedded with the teams. The only exceptions that get an office and door is HR and Legal. When the CTO comes to our office, he also sits with us.
- twic 13y agoDitto. Except our HR people don't have their own offices. We don't have lawyers in-house. If i draw a line from the window through my desk to the far wall, it passes through a developer on another team, me, the product guy for another team, the CTO, a co-founder/head of sales, and two salespeople. I routinely gain great value from speaking to the developer and product guy on either side of me, both of whom are immensely expert. The salespeople are fortunately far enough away and quiet enough that they're not a distraction.
- Crito 13y agoStratification. Putting "regulars" into an open floor plan and leaving managers with offices is this concept on steroids (yes, I've actually seen that). I believe that there is an unplanned unorchestrated ongoing attempt throughout the industry to prevent programmers from being seen as professionals. Reverse dress codes (you'll get odd looks and questions if you aren't dressed casually, but instead throw on a suit or even just a tie), cubicles, and open office space are all ways that this is done.
- matwood 13y agoI had to wear a tie my first few years of working. It sucked. I see dressing how I want as a sign of power, but I do agree with your overall point. Because I can dress how I want, doesn't mean I should look like a slob or unprofessional. I still wear nice clothes to work, just not corporate drone clothes anymore.