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Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

thewalrus.ca

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Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#181

Post by redblacktree »

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #157
LandR wrote: post #27

I work in a shared office / coworking space. We have 3 desks in a large open plan office with a kitchen area. It's about 10 feet from my desk. Most of the time it's just me from our company as the other devs work from home or work out the main office. My experience of working in this shared space: * It's noisy. I mean really noisy, noise cancelling headphones are a must. Like I said the kitchen area is near my desk,…

> * The kitchen area, despite being an office staffed with supposed professionals, is always a mess. How does this happen? Have you ever had roommates ? I've never had a clean kitchen and roommates, and never had a dirty kitchen and no roommate (and by my own actions as well !).

I have actually had a roommate and a clean kitchen, though I'll admit it was the exception to the rule. I think it worked out because we set a cleaning schedule early on. Every Sunday, we'd clean the kitchen and bathroom. (switching off responsibility) And this was a couple of guys in their 20s!

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#182

Post by metalliqaz »

majewsky wrote: post #80
nimbius wrote: post #49

Because Hollywood and overzealous architectural design firms dont understand acoustics...many of them have only recently come to realize the hubris of their ideas. I once worked for a $web_company in a cubeless open office with hard flooring and lots of glass. It was so bad you could hear a fart in the bathroom from the kitchen. Developers routinely recommended brands of noise cancelling headphones. In the sysadmin p…

I would've hired a new executive instead.

Executive decided it was best that he keep his job.

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#183

Post by dsfyu404ed »

jaymzcampbell wrote: post #99
skellera wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My office has multiple kitchens that are always pretty clean. Everyone washes what they use and clean up after themselves. I don’t see why it should be different anywhere else. Some people just aren’t good at being responsible.

I've had this problem in almost every office I've worked at. It shouldn't be different but for whatever reason, people seem to think it beneath them. I often wondered what state some of my co-worker's houses were in.

> I often wondered what state some of my co-worker's houses were in.

They look like trailer park post tornado except for right after the help has been there.

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#184

Post by bayonetz »

>A member of the cleaning staff— a young Spanish-speaking woman with a tight ponytail— was one of the few people actually working. She moved quietly, picking up the dirty mugs that people had left lying about and stacking them into the dishwasher. Her shirt was emblazoned with the company slogan: Do What You Love.

How about that little gem of a closer?

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#185

Post by Raphmedia »

matwood wrote: post #141
Raphmedia wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been to many "beer flowing" companies and every time it was reserved for the Friday extra paid break. Those taps are there to offer quality beer at a low cost during happy hour on Friday when there's no more work to be done for the day. I find it hard to believe that any company would allow daytime drinking.

> I find it hard to believe that any company would allow daytime drinking. Allow? In some cultures a beer or glass of wine at lunch is perfectly normal. There is also a big difference between having a beer and downing a 6-pack. I personally would avoid a beer at lunch because it makes me tired, but I wouldn't think much of it if someone had a beer with their lunch.

Beer at lunch is fine with me. Beer at the keyboard is where things gets weird.

(Unless it's friday evening and your are working hard while everyone else is at the special beer break.)

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#186

Post by silverbax88 »

ztoben wrote: post #103
silverbax88 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've already beaten them out in some niche markets where we went head to head, so, yes.

It's funny you consider this running them over. I'm sure from their perspective you are hardly a blip on the radar.

You are assuming a lot, but whatever you need to believe will work for you, so I'm sure you are set.

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#187

Post by conesus »

matte_black wrote: post #85
conesus wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Woodworking on a CNC is very much a software job. I built a wooden remote and for the most part it’s software with a woodshop component. I explored how I made it in detail in a series of blog posts if you’re interested. https://medium.com/@samuelclay/everything-you-need-to-build-...

Wow!

Considering your reply and because I now have a lot of opinions to share, I think I might write a Joy of Software and Woodworking article. I feel like I can condense it down to how I figured out how to piece together the parts (cad, cam, cnc, wood) to make the whole.

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#188

Post by dazc »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #31
LandR wrote: post #27

I work in a shared office / coworking space. We have 3 desks in a large open plan office with a kitchen area. It's about 10 feet from my desk. Most of the time it's just me from our company as the other devs work from home or work out the main office. My experience of working in this shared space: * It's noisy. I mean really noisy, noise cancelling headphones are a must. Like I said the kitchen area is near my desk,…

> No one talks to anyone from other companies, to the point of awkwardness Haha yeah. It helps to have a few women around, but especially when there are lots of male IT coworkers present this is definitely a thing.

Funnily enough, the couple of times I've done co-working it was the women who were the problem.

One was very aggressive, always having loud arguments on the phone and slamming doors as she left the building.

Another one seemed to think that because she and her partner were renting 2 desks this made her twice as a important as anyone else? She was playing music one day so I asked her to turn it down. She never spoke to me again and made me feel very uncomfortable whenever our paths crossed.

Of course this isn't representative of all women but, just saying, being female isn't a guarantee of good behaviour.

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#189

Post by erobbins »

softawre wrote: post #177
generallee5686 wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you on employers needing to create workspaces conducive to introverts and extraverts. I've seen one attempt at this and I think it was basically an extraverts attempt at making introverts happy. It was basically "we made these 3 'private' office things that you can use when you need to". This doesn't help me at all. Can I use these 90% of the time I'm at work? If not, what's the point? I think the unfort…

My company has private offices for everybody who wants one, and little pod areas outside the offices where you can work together if you like. Teams who want to work in an open space can forego the offices and get a nice open space instead.

What company? Asking for a friend :)

Re: Why It’s So Hard to Actually Work in Shared Offices

#190

Post by ExactoKnight »

silverbax88 wrote: post #59
ramphastidae wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Drinking at work is one of the absolutely worst traits of tech. Not only is it totally unprofessional, but things like ‘Friday beers’ are actually presented by companies as a benefit, and you face major social and professional consequences for not participating. It’s obscene.

You show me any company with beer on tap, and I'll show you a company that I will run over if we are competing against each other.

Ah, said like a classic startup bro who really doesn't realize how badly he's getting screwed on equity yet.

Such brash optimism and such little appreciation for the pleasures of life beyond winning.

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