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Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

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Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#61

Post by Barrin92 »

sharemywin wrote: post #49
radu_floricica wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking for children under a certain age is more or less a full time job. Trying to mix it with work is, well, simply a bad decision. Over that age, and if the kids themselves can manage it... sure, it's great. You're there for breaks and emergencies - much better than being absent for the whole day.

And yet if we don't want a massive population decline we need to figure out how to raise kids and have a decent standard of living. Even if there's only one parent in the picture.

throw the nuclear family back into the dumpster where it belongs. The most straightforward answer how two working parents raise a kids is, they don't. At least alone. It takes a village as the proverb goes. If you have your grandparents and your uncles, aunts and other folks around as I was lucky enough to have growing up you're never bored, and they're never bored.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#62

Post by Gigachad »

andersa wrote: post #8
dt3ft wrote: post #2

Why would I commute (and in doing so lose 2 hours of my time per day)? Focusing in the office is next to impossible, the equipment is sub-par (I have a 3-monitor setup at home)? What is it about software engineering that requires physical presence? Currently we meet once a week in the office and I get almost no work done that day, and I’m not the only one.

I never understood why anyone would spend hours traveling each day just so they can sit in front of a computer in another place for a while and go back home. Glad the world has caught up with this being complete nonsense!

Because it doesn’t take me hours, I live a reasonable distance from the office. I find the office a much more pleasant space to work from.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#63

Post by UweSchmidt »

FooBarWidget wrote: post #15
andersa wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood why anyone would spend hours traveling each day just so they can sit in front of a computer in another place for a while and go back home. Glad the world has caught up with this being complete nonsense!

Some people don't have a home office, or even a basic desk + chair setup that's suitable for long hours of computer work. A colleague of mine prefers going to the office because at home he's constantly distracted by kids. Another has literally injured himself due working from his kitchen in a bad position for a year. It's worse than RSI. He had to rehabilitate for half a year just to get back to 95% health, and even…

Depending on circumstances, what you save on commuting could allow you to upgrade your living with an extra room.

Commuting costs are easily underestimated but a honest look might reveal that they are substantial:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-...

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#64

Post by lnsru »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #24
lnsru wrote: post #10

I must return to the office for 4 days a week soon. Popcorn time, it will be very interesting, because some colleagues come 1 day a week for meetings now. If 4 days in the office will be enforced I will look for something different despite coming promotion. I really hate open space budget offices.

The irony is an open office is fine when hardly anyone is going in. I think 400sqft per person in an open office space is a good amount to enjoy low noise. I have been as low as 40sqft/person including walkways and open office and it was impossible to work to the point it was a major reason I had to leave.

I have roughly 60 sqft for me in the office. 6 feet wide table and walkway behind me. At home I have 160 sqft room dedicated for work. The difference can’t be bigger.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#65

Post by vjk800 »

prmoustache wrote: post #53
Gordonjcp wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood why people think time spent travelling is "lost".

If you can walk to a train station in 5 minutes, then socialized with your train friends for half an hour to 45 minutes or read a book. Or if you commute by walking, cycling and running and it is considered your daily physical activity, it is fine. If you spend your time running to a bus stop, not being able to do anything in the bus because it is crowded and bouncy, then have to catch a train, that is also full then…

Who the hell has train friends?

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#66

Post by misja111 »

sharemywin wrote: post #49
radu_floricica wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking for children under a certain age is more or less a full time job. Trying to mix it with work is, well, simply a bad decision. Over that age, and if the kids themselves can manage it... sure, it's great. You're there for breaks and emergencies - much better than being absent for the whole day.

And yet if we don't want a massive population decline we need to figure out how to raise kids and have a decent standard of living. Even if there's only one parent in the picture.

In Scandinavia there is free daycare. It works great, gender inequality in the workplace is amongst the lowest in the world. There is no stigma on bringing your kids to the daycare, like in some traditional Western countries; it is actually the opposite, people feel it's good for kids to be with others of their same age.

However birth rates are dropping there as much as in all the other rich countries. So the problem with population decline and dropping birthrates seems to be somewhere else.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#67

Post by antihero »

andersa wrote: post #8
dt3ft wrote: post #2

Why would I commute (and in doing so lose 2 hours of my time per day)? Focusing in the office is next to impossible, the equipment is sub-par (I have a 3-monitor setup at home)? What is it about software engineering that requires physical presence? Currently we meet once a week in the office and I get almost no work done that day, and I’m not the only one.

I never understood why anyone would spend hours traveling each day just so they can sit in front of a computer in another place for a while and go back home. Glad the world has caught up with this being complete nonsense!

I mean I go out in the evenings more now as I go mad stuck in my house

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#68

Post by t344344 »

We had this discussion. I wanted the same "luxuries" as at home:

- 200 sqf dedicated room with my own toilet, shower and kitchenet

- Basic lab equipment: 4 tables, 10 screens, 6 computers... Nothing crazy, under $20k total

- Soundproofing, video conferencing equipment, 1Gbps uplink

- Compensation for time and expenses I would spend on commute

- Window with a nice view

It did not go down very well.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#69

Post by Gigachad »

ll_mama wrote: post #43

So let them? What's the deal, why can't we have a society where people who want to work from home, do so while those who want to work remotely do so as well? I do know that I am deciding for myself (100% remote).

Because if companies decide that in office is more productive or more reliable, remote options will dry up. And the fact most big tech companies are going back to office suggests they have the data to show it is more effective.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#70

Post by zmmmmm »

FooBarWidget wrote: post #15
andersa wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood why anyone would spend hours traveling each day just so they can sit in front of a computer in another place for a while and go back home. Glad the world has caught up with this being complete nonsense!

Some people don't have a home office, or even a basic desk + chair setup that's suitable for long hours of computer work. A colleague of mine prefers going to the office because at home he's constantly distracted by kids. Another has literally injured himself due working from his kitchen in a bad position for a year. It's worse than RSI. He had to rehabilitate for half a year just to get back to 95% health, and even…

> my experience is that most people don't have the discipline or will to do this

This widely believed anecdotally driven piece of opinion-data was what COVID invalidated. Studies demonstrated no significant loss in productivity and in many cases increased productivity during WFH during covid - putting aside contexts where it was clearly unsuitable / suboptimal (people trapped in their houses with small kids, no appropriate equipment etc).

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