Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#181

Post by toweringgoat » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 6:50 PM UTC

Chris911 wrote: post #74

kuharich wrote: post #23

Old Microsoft: it was a BillG ethic: anyone touching software got an office: software design engineers, PM's, QA, even admins ... it allowed one to be quiet and focus. And signaled to co-workers - do not disturb ...

Most new buildings at Microsoft now have open office plans.

Speaking to someone there: they were planning to remodel the whole campus. However they stopped after a few conversions due to feedback. Converted buildings are staying open, but other buildings are reportedly staying as individual offices.

This is second hand, could be wrong.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#182

Post by pmiller2 » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 6:52 PM UTC

RHSeeger wrote: post #168

scottLobster wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the work. I do code all day, but the codebase I work on is massive, fairly old (although some parts have been updated) and everyone in the office has their own area of knowledge. What the code does is also complex enough that it requires specific domain knowledge to code properly (I suppose "expert system" is the correct term), so you can't just throw general computer science at every problem. In that type…

I use slack for those questions and, very rarely, a phone. Collaboration doesn't need to be in person.

I consider it rude to Slack someone after they've left, unless it's a critical issue. People shouldn't be "on call" for anything that could wait until morning.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#183

Post by hnal943 » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 6:54 PM UTC

tuna-piano wrote: post #164

DarkContinent wrote: post #145

Epic in Madison, WI, gives all employees their own offices. (I can't find a source but I've been on a tour.)

The (only?) female-founded, tech unicorn you've never heard of. For some reason, Epic, and it's enormous success, doesn't get much coverage.

Well it's private, so it's harder to get information about. The tech is ancient, and it's not on the coast.

Not sure what the coverage would be about, really.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#184

Post by chrisco255 » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 6:59 PM UTC

hackermailman wrote: post #80

mooreds wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remote work is great for so many reasons. Off the top of my head: For the company: * less office space expense * bigger talent pool * low cost benefit * increased documentation * encourages the trend towards outcome based management (as opposed to butts in seats) For the programmer: * more control over their work environment * more control over their time * no "commuting" subsidy for their employers * arbitrage paysc…

One of the downsides is managers think we don't do anything all day as they can't stand over us monitoring for efficiency, so insist we are available at a whim on Slack, which makes Slack the new open office where you have to stop reasoning about what you're building and answer somebody's meme post on Slack or a manager's musings that would've been an email in the past you could reply to later. To me this is just as…

Perhaps you could write a chat bot that periodically makes arbitrary comments or adds reactions to others' posts?

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#185

Post by nsp » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:03 PM UTC

thehardsphere wrote: post #39

krageon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can hope that that's the case, but that doesn't mean that it is. In my experience, it is emphatically not the case.

Do you work at a company whose core business is software?

Yes, in NYC, never worked or interviewed anywhere that gave engineers their own office, probably looked at 50-100 NYC startups

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#186

Post by drstewart » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:08 PM UTC

thehardsphere wrote: post #8

I would hope most companies that consider software to be their core business give programmers offices, even if they have to share those offices with another person on the same team. Most companies that do not often consider programmers secondary to their core business, which is a good reason not to work there if you have a choice.

Agreed, I also think it's smart to pay your programmer $350k/year. If you don't work for a place like that then you don't work for a true software development company, or you work for a dumb one (in which case you shouldn't work there).

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#187

Post by azdle » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:11 PM UTC

tuna-piano wrote: post #164

DarkContinent wrote: post #145

Epic in Madison, WI, gives all employees their own offices. (I can't find a source but I've been on a tour.)

The (only?) female-founded, tech unicorn you've never heard of. For some reason, Epic, and it's enormous success, doesn't get much coverage.

Not sure more coverage would be good for them. I graduated from the U of MN so I was well aware of them, they were always recruiting. They had a reputation for only hiring fresh grads, enticed by 'perks', and then working them as hard as possible until they quit. They probably see it as in their best interest to not be talked about too much.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#188

Post by carapace » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:16 PM UTC

I'm literally about to go talk to recruiters and I'm going to try it: I'll take $20,000 off of my pay if co will provide an office with a door I can close.

I'll report back what they say.

I just recently was working in an open office and the difference between daytime and evening (after everyone else left) was dramatic.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#189

Post by tomsthumb » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:19 PM UTC

pmiller2 wrote: post #182

RHSeeger wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use slack for those questions and, very rarely, a phone. Collaboration doesn't need to be in person.

I consider it rude to Slack someone after they've left, unless it's a critical issue. People shouldn't be "on call" for anything that could wait until morning.

Slack has options to snooze notifications until working hours. We slack each other all the time after hours if someone is on call or just working late, but there's no expectation of answering till the next workday. It's nice because you can get things out there without having to remember.

Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?

#190

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 10, 2017, 7:20 PM UTC

always_good wrote: post #169

mindcrime wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a) my desk faces the wall, for fewer visual distractions I'm sitting here feeling stunned that anybody could ever want their desk facing a wall, as the implication (in terms of any "open plan" environment) is that their back is facing, well, nothing. IOW, somebody can walk up behind you unnoticed. Me personally, I hate that with a passion. I'd pay money to have my desk facing out with my back to the wall, just so nob…

I feel anxious when anyone can see my screen. I should be able to visit HN without feeling guilty as long as I'm getting my work done, but when I'm facing a wall, it's almost paralyzing.

[deleted]