The Cubicle Turns 40

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
The cubicle, a staple in the tech industry, turned 40 years old this week. Honoring the occasion, the creator of one the world’s most famous cubicle dwellers (Dilbert) has designed the perfect cubicle.

It was 40 years ago that the geniuses in office design came up with the soul-destroying workspace we call the modern cubicle. In celebration, office designers IDEO have teamed up with Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, to create the ideal cubicle. I swear. No punchline.
Click to expand...
 
The ideal cubicle should have a door, roof, and be completley sound isolated.... did i mention a lock on the door? :D
 
agreed, oh yeah don't forget to add the microwave and min fridge.
 
Ockie said:
The ideal cubicle should have a door, roof, and be completley sound isolated.... did i mention a lock on the door? :D
Click to expand...

some of them at my work have 3 of out of the 4, only thing missing is the sound isolation.
 
Cubes are an ignorant concoction. They foster isolation mentality amongst smaller minded employees. You don't need privacy in a work environment unless you want to fuk off on the company's dime.

If you want a private office, excel at your job and educate yourself. If you still can't move up, it might be an indication that incompetent/desperate managers are too firmly entrenched. Find another company to work for.
 
Wow is an understatement.

20 years of government (where cubes rule) employment exposed me individual quirks and bizarre habits that will curl your nose hairs. For some bizarro people, entering their cube is like entering their whack-job realm. It's like OCD world gone amok. Dilbert only scratches the surface.
 
ICOM said:
Cubes are an ignorant concoction. They foster isolation mentality amongst smaller minded employees. You don't need privacy in a work environment unless you want to fuk off on the company's dime.

If you want a private office, excel at your job and educate yourself. If you still can't move up, it might be an indication that incompetent/desperate managers are too firmly entrenched. Find another company to work for.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

I also think of it as an intermediary step going from rubbing elbows in the workers trough to a management position. I don't see why managers would need an office either. If they need to talk about something in privacy, they should go to a conference or meeting room. Even the owner of the company doesn't need their own office.
 
ICOM said:
Cubes are an ignorant concoction. They foster isolation mentality amongst smaller minded employees. You don't need privacy in a work environment unless you want to fuk off on the company's dime.

If you want a private office, excel at your job and educate yourself. If you still can't move up, it might be an indication that incompetent/desperate managers are too firmly entrenched. Find another company to work for.
Click to expand...

amen
 
ICOM said:
Cubes are an ignorant concoction. They foster isolation mentality amongst smaller minded employees. You don't need privacy in a work environment unless you want to fuk off on the company's dime.

If you want a private office, excel at your job and educate yourself. If you still can't move up, it might be an indication that incompetent/desperate managers are too firmly entrenched. Find another company to work for.
Click to expand...

You must not work in the corporate world. I would absolutely lose it if I have to sit without a wall between me and some folks.

I have my own office and everything now, but I enjoy the wall between me and some annoying people.
 
I work in an open room area, and really enjoy it. Now because if I tell someone to shut up they have to listen helps, but if people want quiet while others are talking they listen and move the conversation to go back to work. I think open environments are great only if employees are willing to cooperate, which is hard to do many times.
 
Ockie said:
You must not work in the corporate world. I would absolutely lose it if I have to sit without a wall between me and some folks.

I have my own office and everything now, but I enjoy the wall between me and some annoying people.
Click to expand...

That and they're practical when you're working in a call center. Don't need to hear any other conversation other than your own.
 
Ockie said:
You must not work in the corporate world. I would absolutely lose it if I have to sit without a wall between me and some folks.

I have my own office and everything now, but I enjoy the wall between me and some annoying people.
Click to expand...

Congrats on the private office. No doubt it was well earned... ;)

BTW - I'm retired from the Coast Guard. My office is my back yard. :cool:

I'll admit this subject is of interest to me as I enjoyed studying sociology in college (minor). In fact, I did a paper on social interaction in the workplace. Obviously it doesn't make me an authority on the subject but I did glean some insight on the matter during my studies. I contended that the cubical inhibited cohesiveness and a sense of community. I thought it was interesting how some people abandon their "neighborhood attitude" the moment they walk through the office door. Of course, given the reclusive and hermit mentality of some of my un-neighborly neighbors, it's obvious where they get it from. My neighbors and many of my co-workers must be watching life go by between the slits in their blinds.
 
ICOM said:
Wow is an understatement.

20 years of government (where cubes rule) employment exposed me individual quirks and bizarre habits that will curl your nose hairs. For some bizarro people, entering their cube is like entering their whack-job realm. It's like OCD world gone amok. Dilbert only scratches the surface.
Click to expand...

i...i...like my whack job realm... i have anime figures all over my office, it looks like you walked into a con in my office...is that whack job? I still think i'm a pretty good IT guy...and i <3 being isolated, i am happy to help but if i'm on a non troubleshooting related project i like my solitude
 
Of course, given the reclusive and hermit mentality of some of my un-neighborly neighbors, it's obvious where they get it from.
Click to expand...
Theres nothing wrong with being the strong silent type ;)
 
There are very few cubes where I work at Super Giant TechFirm, inc.

You can lay down a lot more code or fix a lot more bugs when you can lock your door and tell people to fuck off and not be hassled every N minutes by someone. That someone is usually a manager who could find what they're looking for in a few moments on the corporate net, but are too lazy to do so. Yay for locked doors and do not disturb signs.

To those who think cubes increase productivity by keeping slackers honest: sure, if you hire slackers and then don't fire them. We fire our slackers. Having a private, quiet place to focus on your work does wonders for those of us who don't slack.

Note: posting to [H] is not slacking. Or is it? Fuck. Time to fire myself. Doh.
 
it's positive slacking, considering i spend half my day on here, and the other half minimized... i would like to think of it as constructive.

My boss thinks so, we both justify it as a tech forum, which is true...though granted the questions i bring here are the ones that my only other choice is experts exchange for.

sometimes i think we need to just hire an exorcist or a witch doctor onto the IT team...
 
I have some of both at work. An 8x10' cube in the side of the building which's quiet low on distractions. My project also has a big lab which's an open area. I'm significantly more productive in my cube than in the lab when it's a full house.
 
God, I would kill for a cubical with some A/C and a mini fridge. Some of you guys don't know how well you got it. Try not taking showers for weeks at a time and sleeping on side of a tank? Its not really like that anymore but the heat, oh god the heat!
 
I've seen some crazy cubes here at the office...a lady has all these Native American good luck charms...Jewish no less lol. Another woman has a 1'x1' mirror that allows you to hold a conversation with her while is facing her monitor...and it doubles as a vanity mirror when you leave. Pictures of kids, dogs, etc abound.

Is it wrong that I am happy with blank walls? I really don't want unknown co-workers or the cleaning crew knowing too much about my personal life.
 
riot8ap said:
I've seen some crazy cubes here at the office...a lady has all these Native American good luck charms...Jewish no less lol. Another woman has a 1'x1' mirror that allows you to hold a conversation with her while is facing her monitor...and it doubles as a vanity mirror when you leave. Pictures of kids, dogs, etc abound.

Is it wrong that I am happy with blank walls? I really don't want unknown co-workers or the cleaning crew knowing too much about my personal life.
Click to expand...

When I was in a cube I consistently had the problem that visitors or consultants would sit in my cube... they figured because there was nothing on the desk/walls... that the cube was vacant. :D
 
Ockie said:
When I was in a cube I consistently had the problem that visitors or consultants would sit in my cube... they figured because there was nothing on the desk/walls... that the cube was vacant. :D
Click to expand...

haha that is pretty funny...your's must have been BARE...at least I have a cheesy promo calendar!
 
ICOM said:
Cubes are an ignorant concoction. They foster isolation mentality amongst smaller minded employees. You don't need privacy in a work environment unless you want to fuk off on the company's dime.

If you want a private office, excel at your job and educate yourself. If you still can't move up, it might be an indication that incompetent/desperate managers are too firmly entrenched. Find another company to work for.
Click to expand...

If you had a clue what my cube looks like (no, not getting any pictures due to the sensitive nature of the work I do and I feel like keeping my job for the time being) you sure as hell would change your mind rather quickly. As it is, I don't have enough room for the work, paperwork, books, manuals and all kinds of other stuff I have here. There is no way I'd be able to work with just a regular open desk, it just wouldn't happen. As it is, I could really use some extra shelves and stuff with everything I have here.

I also keep a number of papers posted up on the walls of the cube which I need for quick reference. It's a hell of a lot easier and more productive to have these hanging on the wall than it is to get out a folder, binder or something else to look up something.

And personally, I prefer not having to look at a bunch of the morons I work around. I'm in my cube and don't have to worry about some idiot a couple desks away screwing off and distracting me from what I'm trying to do. Then again, I work better in a "closed" environment where I don't have to deal with people. I don't really give a damn about the people I work with. I come in every morning to do my work and then leave. I'm not here to make friends or deal with someone's life story; it's a job and provides a paycheck. If the walls of the cube help keep me away from all the other bullshit, I'll happily have them.

Do I think cubes are the greatest thing invented? Not a chance in hell. I find them to be constricting and sometimes annoying. However, the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top