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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

#201

Post by reaperducer »

collyw wrote: post #40
nathanaldensr wrote: post #2

They want an office that matches their personality. And apparently, that means beer on tap and lots of it. The office looked like the lobby of a hipster hotel. Over the next few weeks, we showed up each day and tapped away on MacBook Airs to the sounds of Portuguese house music and old-school hip hop piped in through speakers. (“Rap is urban, and so is WeWork,” the company explains online. “But more profoundly, the c…

I always wonder what Apple Mac coffee shop workers are actually working on. The closest I got to seeing someone working, it looked like cutting some parts out of a photo using something like photoshop. (Not exactly rocket science.)

I built a web site at a Barnes & Noble Cafe on a MacBook Pro. Sold it and made enough money to not have to work for most of the following decade.

The only people I see at coffee shops not using Macs are day traders and people playing video games.

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

#202

Post by Raphmedia »

yesenadam wrote: post #195
Raphmedia wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, if I were to invite you home and offer you a glass of Glenmorangie (Scotch) or Suntory (Japanese Whiskey), that would make me a drunkard? What about a nice glass of finely aged wine? Please, don't limit your worldview to stereotypes...

Well, (I'm trying not to be..insensitive) your defensive comment—and the fact that you were motivated to write it— does make me suspect you have a drinking problem (i.e. drug addiction) but haven't admitted it to yourself. The supposed glamour and sophistication of famous brands helps conceal the basic reality of 'drinking': it's drug-taking, isn't it. (Not that I have anything against drug-taking per se) And that la…

Edit: That was written under the belief that I was replying to @sneak.

Haven't had a drop of alcohol since January 28th, so no drinking problem here.

My last sentence wasn't sarcasm and this comment of yours prove my point. You are so entrenched in your point of view that you automatically assume stereotypes about me. You are assuming that drinking alcohol === drinking problem and that me "offering you" a sip of quality booze is a proof of alcoholism.

Yes, my comment was "defensive". However, yours was on the offensive. "Drinking in general is a really bad idea" is a pretty wide statement. This makes me suspect that you are the one with issues here. Perhaps that you had negative experiences related to alcohol or alcoholism, making you perceive any consumption of alcohol as negative and dangerous, and that's perfectly fine.

I'm not trying to be insensitive either. You are perfectly in your rights not to like alcohol and to think of it as negative.

The issue is when you allow stereotypes to taint your perceptions of others.

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

#203

Post by reificator »

verall wrote: post #42
reificator wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If this is the future of tech work, then I guess I'd better find another career--perhaps gardening or wood-working? Exactly. I can't imagine working in an environment like that. You don't want to hear me playing Smooth by Neil Cicierega[1], and I don't want to hear you playing rap. A work environment is not the place to be playing music for everyone around you. Constant generic music is the worst part of retail, an…

This is totally tangent to the coworking discussion - but honestly mouth moods is a work of art and Neil is a genius. If anyone hasn't heard it, play T.I.M.E.[0] its really unexpectedly good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsoCe7C4Kmk

T.I.M.E. is a favorite of mine when listening to Mouth Moods straight through. But I can't have it in my shuffled playlists like I can with Smooth or Wow Wow.

It's like Love Psych. Great idea, great execution, but not something I can listen to very often.

I do like how it brings out the message the Village People intended though. You have to really try to hear what they're saying in the original.

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

#204

Post by gdulli »

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,…

It sounds like the same downsides of working in an open plan area but worse because there's not even an ostensible attempt at making productivity a priority over maintaining a veneer of "fun."

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

#205

Post by matte_black »

conesus wrote: post #187
matte_black wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I’d certainly read it. I don’t own a wood CNC but I’d like to in the future to build some really cool stuff.

Anything that lets me do more with software beyond building web apps is always fun.

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

#206

Post by kerkeslager »

generallee5686 wrote: post #162
kerkeslager wrote: post #48

There's a bias toward the negative in writing, which I think comes from the fact that people write as an attempt to solve problems. So you're always going to see more negative reporting on shared offices than positive. But I'm old enough to remember when private offices were still common, and there was a lot of negative writing about those too. As someone about to enter the software industry, I was very concerned tha…

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…

> 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?

Did you give this feedback to anyone who could do anything about it?

> 1. It seems to be vastly more expensive for introvert-friendly spaces where square footage is expensive. Stacking people on top of each other is more economical.

That's true, but the benefits of having a workspace that's effective for your workers' needs would seem to outweigh the cost, I would think.

> 2. Introvert-friendly workspaces are generally seen as "uncool" and unable to attract young and cheap talent.

Sure, but places that are more concerned about being cool to attract young and cheap talent are generally crappy in lots of ways. If a place is staffed entirely with folks fresh out of college, that's a better reason not to work there than any office layout.

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

#207

Post by reificator »

conesus wrote: post #187
matte_black wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I'd be interested to hear that.

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

#208

Post by yesenadam »

Raphmedia wrote: post #202
yesenadam wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, (I'm trying not to be..insensitive) your defensive comment—and the fact that you were motivated to write it— does make me suspect you have a drinking problem (i.e. drug addiction) but haven't admitted it to yourself. The supposed glamour and sophistication of famous brands helps conceal the basic reality of 'drinking': it's drug-taking, isn't it. (Not that I have anything against drug-taking per se) And that la…

Edit: That was written under the belief that I was replying to @sneak. Haven't had a drop of alcohol since January 28th, so no drinking problem here. My last sentence wasn't sarcasm and this comment of yours prove my point. You are so entrenched in your point of view that you automatically assume stereotypes about me. You are assuming that drinking alcohol === drinking problem and that me "offering you" a sip of qual…

>You are so entrenched in your point of view that you automatically assume

My point of view? Gee. A lot of assumptions there. Sounds like you think you know all about me. Hmm no, I don't assume drinking alcohol===drinking problem. It sounded like the guy you replied to first maybe did. Maybe you thought we're the same person? I didn't say anything about "proof".

Ahhh yes, you have confused me with the first guy. That explains some of your "so entrenched" language. You're mostly talking about what the first guy said, I'll let you take it up with him.

ps Counting the days since you last had a drink doesn't make me feel I was wrong. Good luck with that! I've had alcoholism ruin a couple of friends lives, it's such a terrible thing, so hard to do anything about.

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

#209

Post by Raphmedia »

yesenadam wrote: post #208
Raphmedia wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edit: That was written under the belief that I was replying to @sneak. Haven't had a drop of alcohol since January 28th, so no drinking problem here. My last sentence wasn't sarcasm and this comment of yours prove my point. You are so entrenched in your point of view that you automatically assume stereotypes about me. You are assuming that drinking alcohol === drinking problem and that me "offering you" a sip of qual…

>You are so entrenched in your point of view that you automatically assume My point of view? Gee. A lot of assumptions there. Sounds like you think you know all about me. Hmm no, I don't assume drinking alcohol===drinking problem. It sounded like the guy you replied to first maybe did. Maybe you thought we're the same person? I didn't say anything about "proof". Ahhh yes, you have confused me with the first guy. That…

( Sorry, I indeed thought that you were @sneak.

As for counting days, it's merely me remembering my last supper with the family. ;)

Might as well move some of my points here as a reply to you. )

---

Alcohol is a drug indeed.

So is caffeine and so are acetaminophens.

Drugs are not evil, addiction is evil. Drinking quality alcohol helps one manage addiction by replacing quantity for quality.

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

#210

Post by turc1656 »

Am I the only one who has grown to absolutely despise the term "creative" when used as a type of worker/employee? As in, for example (from the article) "members of the creative class" and "young creative types". Makes my skin crawl for some reason. I envision a bunch of people who stand around smelling each other's farts like they are at a wine tasting.

I realize this comment isn't really productive and doesn't really contribute to the conversation but am I curious if anyone else hates that term.

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