Is there a polite way to ask someone to stop laughing?

To me the answer is obvious why these are gaining popularity -- money. It is cheaper to squeeze in 300 people around one long desk than in the same space have 150 in separate cubicles. It has nothing to do with colaberation - you mentioned the fact that people do and will still colaberate in a cube or even office environment. And personally I find the more separate personal space you have, the easier it is as you are not worried about discussing items without either bothering others or for them to overhear what they should not.

I think it is going to be an interesting study to watch what develops as these grown adults are forced into these small spaces - as you say the boundary issues, the clean vs dirty, imagine just having a short conversation on the phone will interrupt a large group of people and without talking loudly. In our work environment as you are dealing with clients, phone conversations are necessary. I can only imagine adding the stress of being overworked to being at such close quarters, tempers are going to be short.

Will make an interesting subject.

I do though try to think of a way to politically bring up the subject to higher ups on the seating and if they really think it is a good idea. I am talking about people two or more layers above me. I've attended these meetings where a few layers up they hold open discussion type meetings in small groups where you are supposed to freely bring up your questions. The move was one that someone brought up - but it was more open ended not on any specifics. I end up keeping my mouth closed simply that if I do open it, I don't know what will come out and I do rather need the health insurance for my children.

where do you find these gadgets. Great Christmas grab for the office party - especially once we move to sushi bar.

thanks

for the reminder of the dirty desk syndrome. When I was moving, after I cleared and emptied my desk, I couldn't find any desk cleaner so I went to the kitchen wet some paper towels and put some soap on it and clean the top and inside of my desk - desk moving curiosity.

When I moved the same bozo didn't return the favor and I knew him.

So one time this guy left the company and some one else went to move into his desk and he left a surprise behind - the section in your desk where pens and paper clips and crap have little cubbies to put them - he utilized this to keep his fingernail clipping collection.

co-worker has one.
he prolly got it in a yankee swap...

I went to help a friend with a laptop problem the other day, and found that his "problem" was that he kept eating over his laptop, allowing crumbs to deposit beneath the keys. The reason his shift key wasn't working was simply that there was a massive crumb preventing the key from depressing all the way.

It did give a nice tactile feedback when typing, though. Crunch...crunchCRUNCHcrunchCrunchcrunch.

Man I so totally get that.

That's why I left my cushy job of 13 years....my husband qualified for Medicare, got his own insurance, and the next time some BS went down, like 2 months later, I was so out of there, and never regretted it. Until then, I zipped it.

Edit - Re the effects of having people packed like rats in a science lab cage....

When someone goes postal, and shoots the son/daughter/other relative of one these big wigs, that's when they'll suddenly come out with all this information how this isn't healthy.

Just like, IMHO none of them cared about AIDS until it literally starting hitting home with them and their kids.

HA!

Naw, that was kidding really.

I did used to have what was diagnosed w/ borderline OCD, (the counter/checker, not the cleaner/washer variety, but that went away went I took Zoloft for long term panic attacks. When I stopped the Zoloft, those OCD symptoms stayed away, along w/ the panic attacks. Nowadays, I very occasionally get a twinge of wanting to find comfort in that behavior (like twice a year), but it feels really different than what I was talking about (cleaning her gross keyboard) and I know if I just ignore it, it very quickly goes away, like in a minute or two.

W/ the keyboard, it was more like I noticed the gunk when the sun was shining on it at a certain angle, and I was like "WTF is IN there. Oh God no, that stuff is shellacked on!" I cleaned about 5 of the keys before getting grossed out and letting it go. I was just that bored yesterday.

I know.

Regarding jokes about being OC:

Little kids can be very particular about what they eat. For a while, the running joke with my wife and I was that we should open a place called "OC Burger" were you could order exactly what you want. Three pickles, evenly distributed, cheese and tomato centered on the square patty, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard....

That seriously does remind me...

When I was a kid I had to eat a McDonalds hamburger by first going around and nibbling off just bread, no meat, 2nd go round, an even amount of meat, repeat until you had a mini burger that had one pickle exactly in the center, the remaining burger the exact size of the pickle.

So the "wall builder" is in today - she was out the other day and the day before that is my work from home day. Immediately upon getting in she began to build the additional barrier right in front of me. As I am typically in early, others around her are not in. I will need to watch as they come in if she increases her barrier.

In any case, purely for entertainment purposes I have been sniffling and coughing and clearing my throat. This could prove to be an interesting day.

Ok the barriers have expanded --

Have you tried laughing in an annoying manner?

I think that is why most offices have a no sledgehammer rule now...

(I used to build cube farms. swore I would never work in one)

if you get my sister laughing hard, she snorts.

then everyone starts laughing, and she stops...

Oh my God I owe such an apology to linkat for not taking the noise a cube mate seriously.

I just stopped in for a second to post this...as a book mark per se.......more when I get home....unless I get arrested for homicide first.

oh god....oh god....oh god.....

She's standing next to my desk, looking out the window, from the 3rd floor....

THE FED EX GUY IS HERE!!!!

blessed silence for a second...


HOW WILL WE KNOW IF WE GOT A FED EX??!!!!

someone looks at her and says....when the fed ex guy comes in here.


OH!!!! HE'S TAKING OUT....ONE BOX!.....AND......3 ENVELOPES!!!!

oh god....oh god.....

so now you can understand. Until you live with something so annoying you cannot truly understand it.

I did take a picture of the barriers and sent to my husband for a laugh. I forget how to post pictures so you guys are outta luck. Although the picture isn't that good as I had to snap it quickly so one no would notice. I do think one co-worker did notice as I saw a smirk on his face as he passed by.

Ok this woman (yeah the annoying laugh chick) is about to make me break her neck.

Not only is she laughing or should I call it horse neighing - but she is loud! She talks loud on the phone - the whole floor can hear her; she talks loud when talking with other people - it is extremely distracting to others.

With this coming weeks being our busiest and most stressful, I am likely to smack her or at the very least say shut the h*ll up so the rest of us can think.