The answer is not “have you tried wearing noise canceling headphones”.

@GrantMeStrength even the designer that brought them to be in the first place quickly scoffed at all those that embraced it for money savings instead of his intent.

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/office-space-time-loop-open-plans-cubicle-farms-back/

@GrantMeStrength

In grad school, we had an anyone can veto policy for music.

You were free to play a CD or radio until someone else in the room said, turn it off I need to think or change it to something else that's driving me crazy.

It worked, but we were all on good terms (most of the time). Plus we had three rooms so people could decide, I want to be in the quite room.

@GrantMeStrength amen.

@GrantMeStrength it’s also bad to assume everyone even can wear noise-cancelling headphones.

(I cannot wear closed headphones, I get hot ears after about half an hour, followed by ear infect. In-ear is also out. My new work headset is open around-ear and surprisingly works, had no problem with the ears after a five-hour onboarding meeting but they of course don’t isolate in either direction.)

@GrantMeStrength this should be a poster. In the office!

@GrantMeStrength I don't think even extroverts want open plan offices and constant COVID exposure alerts.

Office policy is being made by whatever the corporate equivalent of the surveillance state is.

@GrantMeStrength "surveillance market" just sounds like where you go to buy security cameras

@GrantMeStrength I agree with this.

@GrantMeStrength As someone with adhd, the switch to open spaces over the last decade has been... difficult.

I never thought I'd miss shitty nightmarish corporate cubicles, but here we are

@ivan @GrantMeStrength with a little help from https://www.klompjes.com/en/product/delfts-blauw-tegeltje-met-tekst/

@pdebruin @GrantMeStrength that's awesome!