Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018) • Hacker News Board

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#51

Post by matz1 » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 4:26 PM UTC

plutonorm wrote: post #38

scottlu2 wrote: post #30

Why are open plans (among software engineers) so common in the industry? Is it really that most software engineers like them?

People feel more stress when they feel watched. Stress increases productivity in the short term, before you burn out. But who cares about that right?

The trick is to just don't care, they want to watch go ahead watch. For example, I browse youtube/fb whenever I want, of course not something extreme like browsing porn. Whats the worse that could happen ? Some coworker complain that I'm not doing my job ?

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#52

Post by matz1 » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 4:32 PM UTC

mercer wrote: post #47

matz1 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It's incredibly stressful to talk to a person face-to-face knowing that everyone on the team listens to the conversation. Not only do you have to constantly weight and evaluate your sentences, you also have the constant feeling that you are disturbing other team members just by talking Fortunately I don't have this physiological barrier. I don't care if everyone on the team listens to the conversation.

Do you also do this when the 'conversation' is just you making statements about yourself that serve no purpose other than providing you with the pleasure of making statements about yourself?

Not sure what you are talking about ? The poster I'm replying to is about face-to-face conversation with other teammate

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#53

Post by commandlinefan » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 4:46 PM UTC

scottlu2 wrote: post #30

Why are open plans (among software engineers) so common in the industry? Is it really that most software engineers like them?

What experience has ever led you to believe that what software engineers like or dislike factors into how their work environments are set up? The Important People consider us, at best, a necessary nuisance.

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#54

Post by commandlinefan » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 4:47 PM UTC

sctb wrote: post #43

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17572141 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17448187 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17513843

Wasn't discussed here very long this time - it's disappeared completely from HN.

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#55

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 4:47 PM UTC

matz1 wrote: post #44

DoreenMichele wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are probably also oblivious to the very real consequences of other people knowing various things or having partial information, etc. It's stressful because it has consequences. If you don't find it stressful, you probably are failing to connect the dots and see that x outcome is related to y behavior.

Of course there is consequences for everything, I just embrace it. Having to be stressful because of this is in itself stressfull.

[deleted]

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#56

Post by scottlu2 » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 5:02 PM UTC

commandlinefan wrote: post #53

scottlu2 wrote: post #30

Why are open plans (among software engineers) so common in the industry? Is it really that most software engineers like them?

What experience has ever led you to believe that what software engineers like or dislike factors into how their work environments are set up? The Important People consider us, at best, a necessary nuisance.

I’ve seen the open plan sold as what engineers are asking for, but anecdotally I don’t see them asking for that, so I wonder what drives it. Does it attract people right out of college? (if so, it would be important for recruiting?)

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#57

Post by loco5niner » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 5:21 PM UTC

jplayer01 wrote: post #39

dijit wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chiming in to say I also disagree with the opinion and to make the same request to downvotes==disagree button. I would like to ask another question though, how does the community feel about people who talk to themselves when they're focused? I find myself doing that at home a lot when working and I really do perform focused tasks significantly better. "Aha, this is a bit stupid" "So, if I move this here it'll be more…

I feel like if people are bothered by people talking nearby, they're going to be using headphones anyway. Honestly, you do you. Talking to yourself is far less disruptive than say, somebody tapping a pen consistently for extended periods of time or co-workers holding a loud conversation nearby or just even a mechanical keyboard. On that note, sometimes I do wonder what my colleagues think, since I sometimes do the ta…

> Talking to yourself is far less disruptive than say...

Still, talking to yourself IS disruptive. Especially depending on your volume.

>they're going to be using headphones anyway

Unless you are playing music at a level that damages your hearing, headphones do not cancel out voices.

> Honestly, you do you.

Agreed. And I will complain about unnecessary noises invading my space.

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#58

Post by loco5niner » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 5:23 PM UTC

matz1 wrote: post #28

docker_up wrote: post #4

I'm probably an outlier, but I love open-office. I've worked in all the different environments over the last 25 years, single office, shared office, cubicle, remote and open office. Open office was weird at first, but I find it much more social. I don't get distracted by noise or movement so that could be a big factor, so I can code without any problems. The least social for me was the single office. I would stay in…

I too prefer open office, if I don't want to see my coworker, why would I even go to the office, I could just work remote. >I don't get distracted by noise or movement so that could be a big factor, so I can code without any problems Same here. I think better alternative is to allow both option, allow employee to work remove if they prefer not to see their coworker.

>I don't get distracted by noise or movement so that could be a big factor, so I can code without any problems

I agree that this is the biggest factor. If it didn't bother me, I would probably enjoy an open office.

> I think better alternative is to allow both option, allow employee to work remove if they prefer not to see their coworker.

I yearn for the day my workplace opens up this option.

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#59

Post by cr0sh » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 5:23 PM UTC

My favorite work environment I was initially skeptical about.

I had done in the past cubicles, private office, shared office, etc - but this one was somewhat unique because the company that I was hired on with didn't have any other place to put me and the rest of the "new guys".

So they stuck us in their small conference room. Which had terrible air flow (aka - none).

We had this long table-like desk; there were four of us, two on each side. We all had a dual-monitor setup with regular PCs - nothing fancy there.

It was crazy hot in there - we called it "the oven".

But we made it ours while we had it. Our team lead played a crazy mix of music from spotify. We could easily collaborate as needed. We could keep the lights off and not be bothered with that.

Eventually we got a portable AC unit to help with the comfort of the room.

We got a lot of great work done in that room. About a year later, we moved offices, and the owners decided to go "open floorplan" (we later learned this was all a scheme towards selling the company). Things changed greatly. While our entire team could be together (we had a couple other members of the team who were outside of the oven at the old office) at one "desk" - the open office didn't facilitate talking amongst ourselves as much or collaboration, because sales was nearby, etc.

Most of the time, we listened to music or whatnot on headphones, and just used Hipchat and email to communicate.

Re: Open-plan offices reduce face-to-face interactions (2018)

#60

Post by loco5niner » Wed, Apr 17, 2019, 5:28 PM UTC

jklinger410 wrote: post #36

docker_up wrote: post #4

I'm probably an outlier, but I love open-office. I've worked in all the different environments over the last 25 years, single office, shared office, cubicle, remote and open office. Open office was weird at first, but I find it much more social. I don't get distracted by noise or movement so that could be a big factor, so I can code without any problems. The least social for me was the single office. I would stay in…

The open office format has increased our face-time 10 fold. Not sure what the point of doing studies on this is? It's incredibly cultural and business/job specific.

Because so many people HATE the open office?