Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!uwvax!uwslh!lishka From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Is it hot in here or is it me? Message-ID: <361@uwslh.UUCP> Date: 6 Aug 88 14:36:16 GMT References: <12849@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <3015@ttidca.TTI.COM> Reply-To: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab Lines: 72 In article <3015@ttidca.TTI.COM> hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath) writes: >In article <12849@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> bks@ALFA.berkeley.edu (Brad Sherman) writes: >}Anxious managers might be surprised to find that, given a free choice in the >}matter, not everyone will opt for a private office. Problems involving >}private offices seem to stem from the fact that, historically, they have >}been assigned based on status, not need. Not to mention being lonely. I would rather work with other people, rather than just me and a computer terminal. >This has been a bone of contention between me and management here for over >three years. My title merits a private office. I've turned down every >one offered because the only ones available had no windows. They can't >understand why I don't consider being stuffed into a small, windowless, >artificially lit box to be a step up. Given a choice, I'll take sunlight >over privacy. I'd prefer both. (The fact that people nominally junior to >me have private offices with windows is a sore point, too). I agree: windows are an absolute must, although with large buildings *someone* has to take the offices without them. Flourescent lamps and false ceilings are no substitute for sunlight, blue (or grey) sky, and clouds. Although you can take my opinion for what it is worth (I am still a student, although I am holding down a full-time this summer), I would rather work in an office with other people than be stuck in a private one. I prefer to be able to talk to others every now-and-then so I don't lose my mind by staring at glowing phosphors for 8 hours. I would feel isolated in a private office. My requirements for a good working environment are: (1) a huge desk, absolutely enormous, to spread source code all over; (2) a decent terminal, with a nice display, preferably an LCD...I don't like CRT's all that much (IMHO, LCD's are closer to paper and ink than glowing phosphors); (3) a good bookshelf to place a library of reference books on, including necessities such as a dictionary and thesaurus, as well as the Kernigan/Ritchie C text and the Red Dragon Compiler book; (4) a very comfortable chair, as well as a leg rest to put my feet up on (let's face it...sitting down, watching the screen for over 5 hours can be damned uncomfortable with lousy office equipment); (5) the ability to eat snacks and drink soda or juice while programming, so I do not have to lose my train of thought in order to go for lunch (although there are many times when getting away for lunch is very welcome; however, there are also times when I need to work straight through to get the job done); (6) other people, so I can crack a joke every now and then, or discuss some topic unrelated to computers and programming when I need a brief rest from coding; (7) a walkman and some nice Sennheiser headphones, so I do not bother anyone else by listening to music; (7) a couple small cloth dividers to absorb office noise; (8) no dress code, so I can wear some comfortable (and fashionable!) threads like T-shirts and jeans. I really do not want to work in a job where I become "part of the machine;" i.e. I get my own office with no windows, have to wear a bloody 3-piece suit, and the office is a "pristine" textbook example of an impersonal, very neat place where it is more important to look like an office than function like one. I find that computer programming can be sort of a lonely job, where I constantly interact with a machine. I would like a little humanity in my working environment. >The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@ttidca.tti.com) Illegitimati Nil -Chris -- Christopher Lishka ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu Immunology Section (608)262-1617 lishka@uwslh.uucp ---- "...Just because someone is shy and gets straight A's does not mean they won't put wads of gum in your arm pits." - Lynda Barry, "Ernie Pook's Commeek: Gum of Mystery"