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Comment by docker_up | Hacker News Reader

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 there all day long and I would have privacy but I would literally not see anyone. The worst was a cubicle where it had none of the privacy (couldn't eat fish or fart or have private conversations) but you still have the lack of social interaction.

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You truly are an outlier. I immediately started assuming that you might be in a more right-brain role, but realized my mistake when I saw your comment about coding. You're clearly better than I am at focusing...

I can _code_ while surrounded by interruptions and distractions (I can put on headphones and face the least busy part of the office so I'm not _too_ distracted most of the time), but I can't _learn_ without some semblance of focus. I suspect that the open-office cheerleaders are mostly people who do the sort of work that you or I might be able to do on autopilot and never try to tackle any sort of real challenge.

I disagree with the opinions of this comment, but I'm glad you made your opinion and your experience heard. Even when for most people an open office works worse, for some people it is preferable

new people: please don't down vote people just because you disagree.

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 orthogonal"

"Ah jeez, why did I choose that type!"

I feel like doing this in any kind of open setting is really not ideal but it takes conscious effort to avoid doing it.

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 talking myself through a task as well.

> 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.

You and me both. I constantly berate myself outloud and hate myself for what it must do to my neighbor who's too considerate to say something, or not considerate enough to bitch to my manager so I could turn this into a remote job.

Please, stop hating and berating yourself. Or do it in silence :).

> I would like to ask another question though, how does the community feel about people who talk to themselves when they're focused?

There's a special place in hell for those people :). Even worse when they are whispering or mumbling.

It's really the same as talking on the phone: my brain is hijacked because it only has a side of the conversation.

Well, that's not nice.

it happens automatically once I'm above 80% invested into something, so in order to be safe I don't let myself get any more than 50% invested because I'm worried about disturbing others.

I'm not sure what I can do here, I have to be in an office which has no sound barriers of any kind between anyone.

Well, you can try the rubber band thing around the wrist for reinforcements.

What rubber band thing?

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.

Some people can work even though they get interrupted and disturbed all day, others are very averse to being distracted and try to reach deep work or get in the zone. The problem with an open office is the first group.

And some people don't want to work any more than they absolutely have to, and can't understand why anyone would want to be able to concentrate.

True example of the above:

I had been given a task by my manager, in such a way that my coworkers could hear that it was something important I had to get done ASAP.

Half an hour later, I'm heads down working, with earphones in. Very obviously coding. Coworker taps me on the shoulder. "Yes?" "Why aren't you chatting with us?"

I'd like to say I made some clever remark, but at the time I was speechless.

(Please note that I do engage in normal small talk at other times. )

The effect also depends on the type of work you are currently doing. Some work requires more concentration and is more easily disturbed. Other, more routine work, can tolerate more noise (be it audible or visual.)

I absolutely detest open offices but what' with downvoting disagreeing opinions? This comment was gray when I typed this comment

I doubt you’re an outlier. I think that open offices have a place, but are over-used especially in the Bay Area tech scene, so the opponents are particularly vocal. I’ve worked at a few open offices for fairly small companies and almost without exception I loved the dynamic.

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?

HN crowd hates open-office. So, mostly devs?

Someone commission a study on developers take on open office vs other roles, STAT!

Yes, good clarification. Likely mostly devs. It really depends on the kind of work you do.

But, when it matters, it REALLY matters.

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