[kbart]

Well, you can do programming with one hand tied to your back too, but that doesn't mean it's an optimal or encouraged practice. There are multiple papers proving that noisy environment impairs cognitive abilities, so it seems logical to me to avoid working in such places when concentration is required.

[fnord123]

It depends on the type of work you're doing. If you're bit fiddling, then sure maybe you need an office or some noise cancelling headphones. If you're an application developer in a team, the communication benefits of sitting in an open plan group can overcome the cognitive issues (which aren't so bad since you're just gluing components together).