Programmer Interrupted – The Quiet Suffering in Open Floor Offices

Submitted By: admin on October 25, 2018

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Programmers Hate Open Floor Plans

Theoretically, open floor offices are a good idea. Sharing a spacious room would ideally provide a stage to plant fruitful discussions, develop & brainstorm ideas spontaneously and solve problems together.

Practically, however, many have a hard time concentrating in an open office – hence many sit there with headphones and listen to white noise to abstain from the distraction. As Joel Spolsky, CEO of Stackoverflow puts it, “programming is a solitary activity, and developers don’t benefit from overhearing conversations.”

This is why Spolsky grants every programmer an own office with natural light at his three companies. If you are lucky enough to work at Stack Overflow, Trello and Fog Creek Software, you will have an office environment where you will be able to “keep more things in your brain at once” – without the aid of headphones.