Since many people are claiming that small noises are a pain, Logitech set out to design mices which are about 10dB less clicky than the usual ones.
At around 25dB, the M220 Silent/M330 Silent Plus are probably near the noise floor of most office spaces, and surprisingly not a premium product (under US$30).
That doesn't sound like a bad thing for people with small places and light-sleeping partners either. Are Soylentils really bothered by Joe-the-spreadsheet-clicker, or do you believe in counter-offensive?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Thursday September 01 2016, @04:19PM
Oh gods, you're one of those Open Floor Plan cultists. You never see that half the office is wearing headphones to be a visual "do not disturb" flag. Or the abuse of caffeine and Adderall just to focus because "no walls means total transparency, man". You may be one of those people who can sit in a hurricane without losing your focus, but most of us humanoids cannot. I suspect though that you sit in an office while demoting others from theirs to "save space" so they'll find work elsewhere and you don't have to pay severance.
As far as I'm concerned anyone clipping their nails in the office deserves to have a 72 hour psychiatric hold put on them, same with anyone who microwaves fish in the lunch room.
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(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 01 2016, @05:50PM
open floor plans are the worst.
as a consultant I charge extra to endure that. As an employee, I'd try to find a new job if I could.
A cubical farm is far better; even the illusion of privacy -- even if the cubes themselves are temporary roll aways that are not assignable to anyone -- having that "wall" is mentally isolating and also absorbs SOME of the sounds.
Yeah we all are able to focus and ignore external noises, but the quality of work drops when we have to actively avoid the noise in the office we are forced to be in.
Conference rooms are great for creativity and when you aren't doing the actual work. If I have to get a conference room to get a quiet area... there's a problem with the design of the office.
Then when the executives walk in to ask if this was reserved because 2 of them wanted to talk to each other and they have large offices with guest chairs and with doors that close but refuse to meet in there with each other because its not condusive for a creative environment... that's usually the sign to leave... both the conference room and the job.