5 votes

Can ‘pods’ bring quiet to the noisy open office?

10 comments

  1. [5]
    json
    Link
    If it does, add more of them. In fact, add so many that everyone can have their own pod. Then so that people can securely leave their stuff in their pod, add a lockable door.

    If it does, add more of them. In fact, add so many that everyone can have their own pod. Then so that people can securely leave their stuff in their pod, add a lockable door.

    13 votes
    1. FZeroRacer
      Link Parent
      I feel like at that point you're getting further and further from the definition of a 'Pod'. I think we might need a new name for this phenomenon...

      I feel like at that point you're getting further and further from the definition of a 'Pod'. I think we might need a new name for this phenomenon...

      5 votes
    2. [3]
      Eabryt
      Link Parent
      Ugh. When I first started at my company I got a cube, which I loved, plenty of privacy, but not totally shut off from the world. Then they moved us to a different building, now the cube is bigger...

      Ugh. When I first started at my company I got a cube, which I loved, plenty of privacy, but not totally shut off from the world. Then they moved us to a different building, now the cube is bigger and they fit 4 people in it (one in each corner.) I'll admit it hasn't been as terrible as I was expecting, but I definitely feel my productivity has dropped some (even if my education has increased.)

      Now we find out that they're planning on moving us again and it'll be to an "agile space" meaning clusters of 8+ and the "walls" are really just more like knee high barriers surrounding the outer desk area.

      I may be job searching soon.

      1 vote
      1. Hypersapien
        Link Parent
        Executives do that so they can check on their employees productivity, not realizing that it drags their productivity down.

        Executives do that so they can check on their employees productivity, not realizing that it drags their productivity down.

        1 vote
      2. json
        Link Parent
        single person office -> small shared office -> cubicles (essentially) -> set desks in a large room -> hot desks in a large room.

        single person office -> small shared office -> cubicles (essentially) -> set desks in a large room -> hot desks in a large room.

  2. papasquat
    Link
    I hate these stupid ass trends. Everything, every decision, no matter how important it is nowdays seem to be influenced solely by trends. What language should you use for your project? Well...

    I hate these stupid ass trends. Everything, every decision, no matter how important it is nowdays seem to be influenced solely by trends. What language should you use for your project? Well everyone is talking about node.js on hackernews. What type of coffee should we have? Well everyone is talking about keurigs. What type of car should I drive? Well everyone online is talking about teslas. That's how everything gets decided now.
    When open offices were starting to gain momentum, everyone knew they were a bad idea. There was no compelling reason to do them except "well I heard google does it". It's this kind of cargo cult bullshit that dooms companies and in the mean time makes everyone's lives miserable. It's like thinking about a problem is just too much work, so lets just go through the motions and do what everyone else is doing.
    This pods thing is just another example of that. If a big tech company adopts it, it will spread like cancer despite being very obviously stupid.

    3 votes
  3. [2]
    stephen
    Link
    Are cubicles with roofs the most brilliant design you've never heard of?!?

    Are cubicles with roofs the most brilliant design you've never heard of?!?

    1. alyaza
      Link Parent
      it's like a weird variant of the "creating a problem, then selling the solution back to people" marketing strategy. like, you're basically just creating mini-offices by doing this, but with none...

      it's like a weird variant of the "creating a problem, then selling the solution back to people" marketing strategy. like, you're basically just creating mini-offices by doing this, but with none of the comforts an actual office provides because in reality it's also basically just a cubicle but smaller.

      3 votes
  4. Omnicrola
    Link
    Personally, I love the open office. I've worked in different ones for over 5 years. The complaints I hear about them are generally paving over a different underlying issue, or trying to throw baby...

    Personally, I love the open office. I've worked in different ones for over 5 years. The complaints I hear about them are generally paving over a different underlying issue, or trying to throw baby out with the bath water.

    The complaints I hear about feeling scrutinized and constantly watched by management just screams to me of a team/company with severe trust and communication issues.

    A lot of the other complaints I usually file under "everything is a nail". Ya, an open office concept with a bunch of sales people constantly on phones, usually a horrible idea. Especially when mixed with people who are not on phones. Not every job belongs in an open layout and not all the time.

  5. Cosmos
    Link
    Or you can just put in headphones.

    Or you can just put in headphones.