Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

blobstreaming.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 593 posts

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#31

Post by globular-toast »

charcircuit wrote: post #10

"Team" does not appear once in the article. I find open plans to be superior as it makes the team go faster. People can unblock others, people can stop others from wasting time, people can immediately work together to think about a problem. And for times where you want to just pump out code you can put some earbuds / headphones on and use body language to signal that you are in deep focus.

Use of the phrase "pump out code" tells me you don't understand the problem and makes me wonder if you've ever programmed anything nontrivial yourself.

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#32

Post by drewcoo »

qayxc wrote: post #22

The article oversimplifies things a little, IMHO. It's not the open floor plan office that's the main cause of the problem for DnD type work, nor are offices with doors a general solution. It's all about policy. A separate office with a door doesn't do you any good if every ten minutes someone drops by to knock on it. A private office also doesn't help if you're constantly bombarded with "urgent" messages from variou…

> Can't deal with the noise of an open plan office? Provide ANC headphones.

Company-issued PPE for hazardous offices?

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#33

Post by Apocryphon »

Not to create too much of a political tangent, but the lack of private offices, or rather the ubiquitous mandatory nature of open offices, and its universal unpopularity with non-managers, is evidence imo that tech could use a union or professional association or guild or something.

Oh sure you can talk about high comp and career mobility. But where does all of the vaunted labor power of software engineers go when they ask for something as simple as a cubicle?

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#34

Post by globular-toast »

throwaway64787 wrote: post #11
lawgimenez wrote: post #9

When I graduated from college, never have I envisioned once that my optimal workspace is just a laptop, working from home, while spending time with fam, and get some hobbies done at the same time.

>while spending time with fam, and get some hobbies done at the same time Getting paid to waste time not doing your job is considered work now?

We're always doing our jobs, even while we sleep! You can't switch off your brain (well I suppose you could try meditation).

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#36

Post by klausa »

rightbyte wrote: post #30
qayxc wrote: post #22

The article oversimplifies things a little, IMHO. It's not the open floor plan office that's the main cause of the problem for DnD type work, nor are offices with doors a general solution. It's all about policy. A separate office with a door doesn't do you any good if every ten minutes someone drops by to knock on it. A private office also doesn't help if you're constantly bombarded with "urgent" messages from variou…

DnD? I can't not read Dungeons and Dragons. Debug and develop?

Do not Disturb.

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#37

Post by ath3nd »

People like you are the reason I personally don't want to be in an office.

> asking quick questions and getting an instant answer. vs chat where I may not get an answer for hours.

Basically like having a toddler around. Sorry for the negative take here but how it's written it feels like you don't necessarily realize that some people do need deep work, and prioritize your quick satisfaction to other's focus. Or I might be projecting, but I simply can't stand incessantly being asked questions, I view it as a type of interruption.

> running ideas by others. This doesn't happen on chat for me, and VC is too scheduled.

Yes, because who needs order in their time when somebody just wants to ask the group from their opinion, without even bothering to write it down. Also, whoever is sick that day and missing from the office, that's on them, whatever discussion happened, no evidence of it, so sucks to be them I guess.

> I don't feel connected to me team at all working from home

I...am sorry.

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#39

Post by drewcoo »

charcircuit wrote: post #10

"Team" does not appear once in the article. I find open plans to be superior as it makes the team go faster. People can unblock others, people can stop others from wasting time, people can immediately work together to think about a problem. And for times where you want to just pump out code you can put some earbuds / headphones on and use body language to signal that you are in deep focus.

> people can stop others from wasting time

Workers policing other workers . . . the ideal office of the pre-COVID 21st century!

Re: Why do programmers need private offices with doors?

#40

Post by spike021 »

ath3nd wrote: post #37

People like you are the reason I personally don't want to be in an office. > asking quick questions and getting an instant answer. vs chat where I may not get an answer for hours. Basically like having a toddler around. Sorry for the negative take here but how it's written it feels like you don't necessarily realize that some people do need deep work, and prioritize your quick satisfaction to other's focus. Or I migh…

>Basically like having a toddler around.

Unnecessarily condescending response to the OP, to be honest.

Post reply on HN