This is pure hell for people who actually do work, and often repeated by managers who don't "get it." Silly questions are not the genesis of good ideas, they're a denial of service attack on good work.
Read Peopleware.
Read Peopleware.
I believe that there is an unplanned unorchestrated ongoing attempt throughout the industry to prevent programmers from being seen as professionals. Reverse dress codes (you'll get odd looks and questions if you aren't dressed casually, but instead throw on a suit or even just a tie), cubicles, and open office space are all ways that this is done.
I think it's more likely that open floor plans cost less per square foot or seem productive.
Most people don't bother trying to dress that way so they never encounter the pushback and therefore never even realize that there is an unspoken rule in place. I recommend that everybody try to go to work on a monday with at least a white button up shirt with long sleeves and a tie. I think many of you who work places "without" dress codes will find the experience to be illuminating.
When I tried it, somebody from HR had a nice "chat" with me, explaining that the corporate culture was for engineers to dress casually.
I'm not sure how I would respond if someone said I was not allowed to dress nice. It just seems like a completely foreign concept.
When we moved to our new building, interior spaces were meeting rooms. Next layer out were manager cubes. Final layer out were the worker cubes, everyone faced the big floor-ceiling windows.
This actually had a drawback. There were cunning metal shades over the windows to keep out the sun. These worked great to block the sun. They also collected snow. Which, thanks to wind, and sun, melted into in a slant, like a roof. Our first Thaw in that building and the ice/snow ...
BONNNGGGGG through the building frame as the snow slides off and the shade vibrates like a giant tuning fork.
A few minutes later BONNNGGGGG as the next in line sheds snow.
And so on. This went on all .. day ... long.
I routinely gain great value from speaking to the developer and product guy on either side of me, both of whom are immensely expert. The salespeople are fortunately far enough away and quiet enough that they're not a distraction.