[richardhod]

I disagree with the opinions of this comment, but I'm glad you made your opinion and your experience heard. Even when for most people an open office works worse, for some people it is preferable

new people: please don't down vote people just because you disagree.

[dijit]

Chiming in to say I also disagree with the opinion and to make the same request to downvotes==disagree button.

I would like to ask another question though, how does the community feel about people who talk to themselves when they're focused?

I find myself doing that at home a lot when working and I really do perform focused tasks significantly better.

"Aha, this is a bit stupid"

"So, if I move this here it'll be more orthogonal"

"Ah jeez, why did I choose that type!"

I feel like doing this in any kind of open setting is really not ideal but it takes conscious effort to avoid doing it.

[jplayer01]

I feel like if people are bothered by people talking nearby, they're going to be using headphones anyway. Honestly, you do you. Talking to yourself is far less disruptive than say, somebody tapping a pen consistently for extended periods of time or co-workers holding a loud conversation nearby or just even a mechanical keyboard.

On that note, sometimes I do wonder what my colleagues think, since I sometimes do the talking myself through a task as well.

[loco5niner]

> Talking to yourself is far less disruptive than say...

Still, talking to yourself IS disruptive. Especially depending on your volume.

>they're going to be using headphones anyway

Unless you are playing music at a level that damages your hearing, headphones do not cancel out voices.

> Honestly, you do you.

Agreed. And I will complain about unnecessary noises invading my space.

[howard941]

You and me both. I constantly berate myself outloud and hate myself for what it must do to my neighbor who's too considerate to say something, or not considerate enough to bitch to my manager so I could turn this into a remote job.

[johnchristopher]

Please, stop hating and berating yourself. Or do it in silence :).

[johnchristopher]

> I would like to ask another question though, how does the community feel about people who talk to themselves when they're focused?

There's a special place in hell for those people :). Even worse when they are whispering or mumbling.

It's really the same as talking on the phone: my brain is hijacked because it only has a side of the conversation.

[dijit]

Well, that's not nice.

it happens automatically once I'm above 80% invested into something, so in order to be safe I don't let myself get any more than 50% invested because I'm worried about disturbing others.

I'm not sure what I can do here, I have to be in an office which has no sound barriers of any kind between anyone.

[johnchristopher]

Well, you can try the rubber band thing around the wrist for reinforcements.

[dijit]

What rubber band thing?