Via Karl Voit I found a link to an interesting post from Tim Bray in which he discusses a variety of technical issues. I especially liked his take on Open Offices in which he says
All the high-tech companies I’ve worked for have resolutely ignored the research I hear about that seems to say putting expensive engineers out on the floor with no separating walls leads to grievous productivity losses. Isn’t this biz supposed to be data-driven?
Sadly, the short-term thinking by bean counters and those under their sway will continue to favor the immediate savings on office configuration to removing the on-going costs of lost productivity, all-the-while insulting everyone’s intelligence with their cant about “increased communication.” They deserve the losses they’re going to suffer; it’s just too bad their employees also have to suffer in the mean time.