Bittersweet to see how much “distracting work environment” is reported to reduce productivity, given that companies abjectly refuse to provide private & quiet workspaces despite it being unequivocally cost effective to do so even for most start-ups in dense urban centers. I continue to find the discussion of salary disappointing though. The survey provides a good opportunity for more detailed information.
I personally find non-private settings where you can easily collaborate with other developers more productive. When I am alone in an office, there is a higher temptation to waste time on reddit/youtube and I am less likely to talk to other developers outside of IM apps. But when I'm in an open office/lab environment I find I'm more likely to stay on task and also more likely to get unstuck on something thanks to clos…
However, it’s easy enough for employers to provide both private & quiet offices and separate areas for constant collaboration and ambient chatter, allowing people to choose which type of area they want their primary workspace to be located in.