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The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

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Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#11

Post by icedchai »

warning26 wrote: post #4

> My mind goes first to the young. People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues This is what I think remote work advocates miss -- pure remote makes work 100% work, 0% percent anything else. This is probably fine if you work at a horrible finance firm where this was the case anyway, but for people in creative/tech professions where fun stuff / offsites / happy hours were th…

I miss the simple things, like finding a new restaurant and trying it with coworkers. It sounds cliche, but I liked "getting out of the house" and having more of a work-life separation. I have kinda accepted that that era is gone and is not coming back. The last time I worked out of an office was March, 2020.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#12

Post by icedchai »

pram wrote: post #6
warning26 wrote: post #4

> My mind goes first to the young. People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues This is what I think remote work advocates miss -- pure remote makes work 100% work, 0% percent anything else. This is probably fine if you work at a horrible finance firm where this was the case anyway, but for people in creative/tech professions where fun stuff / offsites / happy hours were th…

Oh no don't worry they weren't missed. Now I have to spend late Friday logged into Zoom while people awkwardly drink alcohol and talk about their dogs.

Heh. We have some non-mandatory "virtual happy hour" events. I usually skip those.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#13

Post by EddieDante »

Peggy Noonan has failed to justify the continued existence of "office culture" and "national culture". As somebody else mentioned, I work for a living. I am not there to make friends. I am there to make money. I am not there to build community. I am there to build software that makes rich assholes even richer, in exchange for pennies on every dollar of value I create.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#14

Post by EddieDante »

warning26 wrote: post #4

> My mind goes first to the young. People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues This is what I think remote work advocates miss -- pure remote makes work 100% work, 0% percent anything else. This is probably fine if you work at a horrible finance firm where this was the case anyway, but for people in creative/tech professions where fun stuff / offsites / happy hours were th…

> for people in creative/tech professions where fun stuff / offsites / happy hours were the norm?

I was one of those people, and I declined every invitation to mandatory fun, offsites, and happy hours. I was there to work, to do the job and get paid, and I wasn't getting paid to do extracurriculars. I left that bullshit behind when I graduated from high school.

> Remote is such a massive downgrade in that case.

Speak for yourself. Remote work has been an upgrade for me.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#15

Post by spywaregorilla »

icedchai wrote: post #11
warning26 wrote: post #4

> My mind goes first to the young. People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues This is what I think remote work advocates miss -- pure remote makes work 100% work, 0% percent anything else. This is probably fine if you work at a horrible finance firm where this was the case anyway, but for people in creative/tech professions where fun stuff / offsites / happy hours were th…

I miss the simple things, like finding a new restaurant and trying it with coworkers. It sounds cliche, but I liked "getting out of the house" and having more of a work-life separation. I have kinda accepted that that era is gone and is not coming back. The last time I worked out of an office was March, 2020.

have you considered finding a new restaurant and trying it without coworkers

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#16

Post by kweingar »

EddieDante wrote: post #13

Peggy Noonan has failed to justify the continued existence of "office culture" and "national culture". As somebody else mentioned, I work for a living. I am not there to make friends. I am there to make money. I am not there to build community. I am there to build software that makes rich assholes even richer, in exchange for pennies on every dollar of value I create.

Why not go it alone, or with a small team? Then you can keep every dollar of value you create, minus overhead

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#17

Post by EddieDante »

kweingar wrote: post #16
EddieDante wrote: post #13

Peggy Noonan has failed to justify the continued existence of "office culture" and "national culture". As somebody else mentioned, I work for a living. I am not there to make friends. I am there to make money. I am not there to build community. I am there to build software that makes rich assholes even richer, in exchange for pennies on every dollar of value I create.

Why not go it alone, or with a small team? Then you can keep every dollar of value you create, minus overhead

I have all of the business acumen of a turnip, and the social skills of a Dalek with a hangover. Besides, 1099 contracts are close enough for my liking.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#18

Post by quartesixte »

spywaregorilla wrote: post #15
icedchai wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I miss the simple things, like finding a new restaurant and trying it with coworkers. It sounds cliche, but I liked "getting out of the house" and having more of a work-life separation. I have kinda accepted that that era is gone and is not coming back. The last time I worked out of an office was March, 2020.

have you considered finding a new restaurant and trying it without coworkers

Have you considered that not everyone finds their coworkers insufferable, actually finds the camaraderie enjoyable, and do make friends at the office?

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#19

Post by catchnear4321 »

spywaregorilla wrote: post #15
icedchai wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I miss the simple things, like finding a new restaurant and trying it with coworkers. It sounds cliche, but I liked "getting out of the house" and having more of a work-life separation. I have kinda accepted that that era is gone and is not coming back. The last time I worked out of an office was March, 2020.

have you considered finding a new restaurant and trying it without coworkers

It lacks the social component.

That being said, and to your point, taking oneself out to a restaurant, especially a new one, is worth trying for anyone that hasn’t.

And I’m showing my age. Not like dining alone means things like SMS stop working. Or whatever people use these days. It can be social.

Re: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America

#20

Post by planarhobbit »

catchnear4321 wrote: post #3

“People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues, find romantic partners and mates.” Pretty sure that said people would respond with “ok boomer.” All evidence I have seen is that the youth are more prepared than ever to navigate these matters with or without lots of close proximity. Culture changes before our eyes. Change isn’t always bad, even when we struggle to keep up with…

> All evidence I have seen is that the youth are more prepared than ever to navigate these matters with or without lots of close proximity.

Can’t say I agree with this. I’ve seen too many cases that lead me to believe we are closer to a society-scale neurosis given the scared shitless attitudes displayed by the younger generation over the past 2 years.

Less and less people can navigate their way out of bed with a clear mind, Nevermind ascend and accomplish the aforementioned matters.

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