Here's my argument against open office: I work in the dark. I am sensitive to the flickering of fluorescent lights that most people cannot see. Most offices

Here's my argument against open office: I work in the dark. I am sensitive to the flickering of fluorescent lights that most people cannot see. Most offices have standard fluorescent lights, often with cheap bulbs or ballasts that have not been changed since the building was built. People also have different temperatures that they are comfortable at. So, you really need at minimum four offices: Dark & Cold Dark & Warm Light & Cold Light & Warm This ignores all the other problems with open offices and cubicle farms. Programmers really need to spread out. You need a whiteboard, preferably a large one for every two programmers. They need a desk big enough to support two or three monitors (if you're only giving them one, you're being penny wise and pound foolish, most likely.) Many programmers like to have books open for reference on the table. Or documents, etc. Collaboaration is higher in my experience when people have their own offices or a few people per office. Focus is much higher. Why kill productivity by %30 (a low estimate for the negative impact on my personal productivity) in order to save a fraction of an engineers salary? I think it's just bad management. But the nice thing is, these people advertise that they have open floorpans, like they don't even realize it's a mistake, and that makes it easy to just say "next" when looking at jobs.