What dolt would think that more noise & distraction would make for a more productive workplace where the product requires sustained periods of focus? It's literally the dumbest thing you can do in that circumstance.

I think that’s all just propaganda and the real reason for it is so that management can always keep an eye on their code cattle

I don't think it's about monitoring, but it's probably about status, and your use of the word 'code cattle' seems relevant (I was also thinking about farms). Or a more apt comparison would be factory floors.

I don't think it's nefarious, not usually at least. It's just a lot cheaper and then it's justified after-the-fact as fostering collaboration or whatever. I'm not asking for my own office (though I would love it), but at least some physical division like a cubicle.

Cheaper and more hipster?

So many companies, even non-tech companies with tech divisions adopted this plague and now it seems there is no turning back. I find the constant movement to be the biggest distraction over noise.

>I find the constant movement to be the biggest distraction over noise.

I find movement to be distracting as well (esp. if I'm sitting next to a high-traffic aisle as I was in one short-lived position). However, what's even worse for me is when several different conversations all start up at the same time, in the same space. Americans are already extremely loud talkers, but then stick a bunch of them together in one room, having 2-5 different conversations simultaneously, and I truly don't understand how anyone can take it, or even understand whichever conversation they're part of.

Movement distracts our attention thru vision (as we need to put effort to ignore the moving objects) and sounds do the same thru hearing. I'd compare doing highly focused work in such conditions to balancing on one leg in a curious yoga position while random people walk by and push you without a warning.

If you have diagnosed ADHD and are forced to work in an extremely distracting environment like an open floor plan then talk to your manager and HR about getting an accommodation. They will work with you to find some reasonable way to limit the distraction based on the particulars of your workplace.

Alternately, they'll make no accommodations. The developer's productivity keeps falling. Eventually he's put on a PIP (performance improvement plan) and finally once it runs its course, they'll have a legal way to just kick him out.

Most companies want their employees to provide them with value and are willing to make reasonable accommodations toward that end.

If you have an hostile manager or HR department then yes it's time to move on.

Yeah, that depends entirely on the company and – most importantly – you current boss. Also, I don't think ADHD is a protected class so, even if accommodations are made, the next boss that comes over can totally do the PIP thing.

For anyone reading this: if you ever find yourself placed in a "PIP", leave. That's like being inside a black hole's event horizon, you'll never come back.

You can in fact refuse a PIP. I don't mean refuse to sign the paper they give you, I mean refuse the whole process. This will almost certainly result in the termination of your employment, but depending on the circumstances you may get far better terms than simply being let go.

That said, I have seen people come back from a PIP and kill it, to the point where on their next review they get all of the equity they lost in the prior cycle plus the comp from the new cycle. Obviously this is rare, but I have seen it.

Movement is a big one, noise bothers me more personally I think. I dislike the fact that I cannot function at work without headphones. I have 2-3 feet of my space between me and other co-workers and at any point in time, there's various conversations going on right next to me and it's making getting deep work done very challenging.