Hacker News Reader

Comment by hordeallergy | Hacker News Reader

It's not acceptable. I've moved from a dev background to having a go at sre/devops/something-or-other; work aside, the culture is excrutiating, with people shouting across the office all day. Best case, someone talking to themself hour after hour, as if anyone wants to hear that. The idea that open floor plans are productive is farce. I effectively have two jobs, the first being just trying to get any work done.

View on HN

It's also extremely unhealthy. I've never been so sick in my entire life as since I started this job a year ago. Literally herded like cattle into an open air room with hundreds of other people from all around the world coughing and sneezing in your face all day. I'll never ever accept another position with this kind of setup.

Hah this hits close to home, literally just getting off being sick the last couple days cus someone in the tiny aisle between a sea of desks coughed a few times directly at my face last week as I passed to and from the kitchen.

My current spot is particularly bad because they have us jammed up 5' away from 4 conference rooms with thin glass walls so we get to hear loud conference calls every day all day long.

Edit: to too two? I can English

Getting sick is what exercises the immune system, it’s good for you in the long run. However I suspect you are vitamin D3 deficient also, try a supplement.

The last open plan cesspit I worked in literally gave me pneumonia for the first time in my life. Too many contractors coming in sick, not washing their hands, coughing all over the office. It was long benches, with 36" allotted per person. A freaking hellscape where you literally touched your neighbor if you put your arm out to the side.

Our workspace has been referred to as “the bullpen”. One dev gets a cold, soon after another.

SRE/DevOps should generally be like dev: if you're in an open office, headphones on.

> Best case, someone talking to themself hour after hour, as if anyone wants to hear that.

The person who is speaking usually needs to hear it. Sorry, I talk to myself every so often. :)

The 'headphones on' as if this should be standard behavior does not make sense to me when a simple dividor or wall would do. Especially when unless you listen to loud music or have special noise canceling ones you can still hear people. If you work with a Jackhammer you cannot avoid having to cover your ears, it's very loud, but why does someone in an office have to do this, especially for the entire day, the Jackhammer person doesn't do it all day long. Also if everyone spoke to themselves at the same time, you couldn't hear yourself either. I did not down vote you btw, just replying because I see how you're offering a solution but I don't think it is good enough.

> just replying because I see how you're offering a solution but I don't think it is good enough.

Oh I agree, dedicated offices are superior to headphones - hence writing 'in an open office'. I'm merely pointing out that privacy should be the same in SRE/DevOps vs devops.

I'm not particularly concerned with downvotes, I've been on HN a decade and am happy to lose karma while making an accurate point.

I once quit a job because there was a guy who constantly talked to himself. Your mumbling might cause severe mental anguish in those around you.

In most offices people will talk around you. Sometimes to others, sometimes to themselves. If that triggers your 'severe menal anguish', seek employment somewhere with a dedicated office or working from home.

No. If you must talk to yourself then you should "seek employment somewhere with a dedicated office or work from home" -- if you were so important that your productivity should come at the expense of those around you then you would already have an office.

Most people talk in offices. Many including to themselves. Most people don't have issues with it. You will be happier if you adapt to the world, rather than asking the world to adapt to you.

Since you're new, you should probably read the HN guidelines regarding the types of things to avoid.

I'm not new, I've been here for almost a decade. I don't provide an email address, so when a browser logs me out I create a new account.

> if you're in an open office, headphones on.

No thanks, 8 hours/day with headphones on is already giving hearing problems. I'm done with that.

Earplugs work great for me. It does taking some getting used to.

I've tried that too. Unfortunately, due to tinnitus issues, earplugs cause complications for me.

I've tried all manner of earplug/headphone/earmuff combinations, and nothing works except not having loud people around.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com