News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by xyzzy_plugh on Monday June 05, 2017 @09:39PM (#14494050)
Open office is more than elbow-to-elbow with headphones on. out of the 8 people who sit in my immediate vicinity, rarely are more than one or two wearing headphones.

While it's definitely distracting, there is a type of conversation that occurs which I have never experienced in all my years as a cube farmer. If I want isolation, I can go sit somewhere else or work from home or a cafe. It feels like the default being not isolation makes all the difference.

Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by NamTaf on Tuesday June 06, 2017 @01:25AM (#14494941)
While it's definitely distracting, there is a type of conversation that occurs which I have never experienced in all my years as a cube farmer. If I want isolation, I can go sit somewhere else or work from home or a cafe. It feels like the default being not isolation makes all the difference.

You're lucky, I can't. I agree that an open office has its benefits but when you can't treat its downsides with the methods you stipulate then I don't feel it's worth it on balance. I'm forever distracted and even just the cubicle farm (not fully sealed offices) was a much better environment for me.

Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by opo on Tuesday June 06, 2017 @02:19PM (#14499653)
>...I'm forever distracted and even just the cubicle farm (not fully sealed offices) was a much better environment for me.

Yea for those whose work requires some concentration, the best environment might be where workers have offices with open areas available to them when they want to discuss issues with other team members. It is very sad that companies can't be flexible in this area and instead like to pretend that only upper management needs to concentrate, have a private conversation, etc.

Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by specialist on Monday June 05, 2017 @10:16PM (#14494183)
My highest function team had a mostly open office. Big, wide, open, lotsa windows, plants, couch etc. 12 people, self selected. We had a handful of offices for anyone who preferred or needed that.

Then my boss stuffed some clowns onto my budget and ruined the magic.

Since then, most places I've worked have been either call centers or highschool cafeterias. No amount of bon ami can overcome inhumane working conditions.

I'd rather have an office.

Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by lmitchell on Tuesday June 06, 2017 @01:29AM (#14494963)
I know this is a bit irrelevant... but did you mean 'bonhomie'? (I only think that because I was really, really confused by that sentence - then I realized I had been mispronouncing 'bonhomie' in my head this whole time, quite badly. I guess I learned it by reading and you learned it by speaking :P)
Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by specialist on Tuesday June 06, 2017 @10:22AM (#14497391)
Spot on! Nicely done.
Re:Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work env... by WWLink on Tuesday June 06, 2017 @01:55AM (#14495081)
lmao yeah I think I know exactly how you feel. Right now I sit mostly around people I really enjoy hanging out and working with, so it's fantastic. A year ago I was sitting in a super crowded area while construction was going on and it was really really unpleasant.