I started out in a 2-man pod with the owner's workbench, and after a few months moved to one of the two *large* 4-man pods that housed R&D. I like my privacy so that really bugged me at first, but they were welcoming and pretty soon I was part of thee banter that went on all the time.
Then we moved upstairs to the brand-new west wing with small Microsoft-style private offices. Hated that -- it was too quiet, and the built-in work surfaces ("desks") were designed so you sat with your back to the door (and its glass panes). Perfect for a micro-managing manager, which we soon got.
Not many years after that I moved to a bigger office on the (now) new north wing. This was status -- for all this wing made the R&D wing look full of life. I could also sit so passersby weren't reading my monitors. But adjusting the blinds was a bit of a nuisance because I had to walk around the desk the long way -- not a problem at first, but when I shifted from the overhead (indirect) fluorescents to daylight, blinds settings became more important.
That's the office I just lost. My new "cave" back in the R&D wing (at the end of the west wing is the south wing, where I am) is becoming just that; I have a frontal for the "desk" (they're really tables) that I rotated out of planned (read over your back) orientation to face the door instead. The overhead is rarely used and never for long. And it is dark and cool (69F).
I plan to have the changes complete in a few weeks, including a bit of black gauze over the door's glass. (See-through enough for what's intended,but no more than that.)
Ah, the joyous mirk. *\;-)
I was finally moved to a “pod” with my back to a window, but the gal in my diagonal wanted the blinds open in the morning. Which would have been OK, had it not been an east window, so I couldn’t see my screen.
So I shut the blinds. She would open them. I told her she needed to be considerate to the other employees. She went to the supervisor. I told the super that the girl needed an attitude adjustment.
She lasted about another three weeks before she was terminated. Reason? Attitude not in keeping with Customer Service Mission Statement.