by tpmoney | 2025-11-29 19:07:14+00:00
> Humanity had no problem coordinating massive projects over IRC and mailing lists.

Humanity has plenty of problems coordinating over IRC and mailing lists. That we have succeeded some of the time does not imply we would succeed all the time or that there aren't significant downsides. These discussions often bring up Linux as an example and sure, the remote development of the Linux kernel is indeed a testament to what you can accomplish with remote teams and strong coordination. On the other hand, we could note that despite how successful that remote coordination has been, the (arguably) most successful Linux OS business (Red Hat) decided they needed offices and in person work long before they were owned by IBM. Likewise the SuSE Linux folks have offices around the world. There must be some benefit they're getting from that to have decided to take what was a fully remotely coordinated project and centralize some of it.

> even IF in office was better for the employer (even though all data says it’s not in terms of productivity) it is unequivocally better for the employees life to work remote as much as humanly possible.

That might be true for some people, but it is not true for all. If you'd asked me before COVID if I wanted a 100% remote job, I would have told you yes. I'd even applied for a number of (the far more limited at the time) remote jobs like Gitlab. And then COVID hit and I spent 2-3 years working from the single spare 10x10 space in my home. In that time I lost precious living and hobby space to having a dedicated working location (approximately 20% of my home). I increased my personal utility costs without compensation. My mental state deteriorated due to a lack of mental and physical separation from work and home. I found it far more difficult to accomplish my work due to a number of at home distractions. I struggled heavily to keep up with things happening across my team as it was difficult to both keep up with the async chat discussions without also burning massive amounts of time and energy context switching. I found that I personally need some form of a "commute" in order to switch my mental state from home to work and back again. I had to allow corporate devices filled with corporate spyware on my personal network. I had to isolate parts of my house from my spouse at various times. I had to allow strangers and colleagues a video view into my personal and private home. Working 100% remote was unequivocally worse for me as an employee.

By contrast, now that I'm back in the office most days, I have an employer provided dedicated working space. I have free coffee, tea and fruit. I have a space where I can be focused on working on something and still keep an ear on other things happening within my team, allowing me to context switch when my attention is needed without needing to switch just to find out if my attention is needed. I have a free gym on site that allows me to exercise with equipment that I don't have at home and wouldn't have the space for even if I could afford it. I don't have to allow corporate devices on my home network anymore. I have a cafeteria which serves reasonable and healthy food at reasonable prices when I don't feel like making my own lunches. I have access to high quality and private video conferencing systems when I need to coordinate with other remote individuals and I no longer have to allow strangers visibility into my home in order to conduct interviews. I get to eat meals with co-workers and colleagues and have social engagement during my breaks. I can get away from home distractions and more easily focus on the work I have at hand. I have a reasonable commute that's just long enough to allow me a mental switch without being oppressively long, and takes me past a number of locations that I would have needed to go to any way each week.

Which isn't to say it was 100% bad. To this day I have a hybrid situation which affords me benefits that I would not have with a 100% in office position, and for which I am eternally grateful and fortunate. I also recognize that I work for a very good company that provides a number of perks that aren't available to everyone who works in an office. But that's the point. In office work doesn't mean just one thing, and neither does remote work. Both are highly subjective experiences and to say that remote work is "unequivocally" better for everyone is just wrong.