People at Microsoft (Redmond) traditionally had offices but they're aggressively redoing buildings into open plan introvert hells. The Azure buildings are just about done but don't know who's scheduled next.

It makes me wonder why more companies (especially the large ones that attract dev talent) are doing this. I've read studies and articles detailing what seem like likely explanations, but I wonder if maybe it is something else?

...like perhaps the people going into software development/engineering are more extroverted now than they were in the past (that is, they constitute a larger percentage of total applicants)? Could it be that the concept of a software developer as being the "overweight nerd in the corner" (or whatever pejorative view you want to subscribe to) is no longer the case?

There seems like there should be evidence for it. I know that with there being a larger international base for software engineers, those cultures don't seem to have a many into the field that are introverts vs extroverts (I could be wrong there). Also, since the field became known as a way to make a lot of money fast, there are also likely fewer introverts making up the total population (whereas in the past they might be a greater proportion of the whole). Also - I've noticed that there are more than a few people in software development who espouse and live a "healthier" lifestyle - going to the gym, exercising more, and other outdoor activities - things that in the past would be looked upon as "jock activities" - but this might be a conflation between the first two possibilities. I'm sure there are other reasons as well.

...and so, to cater to the new crowd (and because they may also be demanding it from employers - as employee or potentials), the employers are opening up their work area. That it saves them money and other factors may just be the icing on the cake so-to-speak, and not the driving reason(s).

The downside is that it leaves the introverts feeling that the workplace is being hostile to them, and either decline to join such companies, or move on from such places rather than stay. Because why would an introvert stay in such a "hell", as you put it?

>Also - I've noticed that there are more than a few people in software development who espouse and live a "healthier" lifestyle - going to the gym, exercising more, and other outdoor activities - things that in the past would be looked upon as "jock activities"

Your other stuff about introverts vs. extroverts made sense, but then you got here, which makes no sense at all. Exercising and doing outdoor activities aren't the domain of extroverts, in fact outdoor stuff can be seen as an introvert's passion because it lets them get away from people. I'm rather introverted and I love outdoor activities like hiking; I'm very happy on hiking trails when there's absolutely no one else out there with me.

The "healthier lifestyle" thing is just a general societal trend. People in general are more worried about this, and outdoor activities like hiking are much more popular now than they were ~50 years ago. It's not an introvert vs. extrovert issue.

>The downside is that it leaves the introverts feeling that the workplace is being hostile to them

That's not a feeling, that's a fact. These workplaces are hostile and toxic.

I think it's a trend like any other - I saw the beginnings back in the Internet boom and now the corporate laggards are getting to it. It's unclear whether it will be enduring.

I've run every day for years and am a musician but neither makes me want to compromise my high-focus responsibilities with distraction. That's not to say that others don't find it somehow (shudder) energizing.

Personally I have had the choice and have avoided it but never had to transition an existing job from office or even cubicle. From what I've seen of the new MS offices, as expensively pretty as they are, I'd be looking for another position internally or otherwise. I can't imagine that others there haven't done so - though maybe Amazon is bad enough to keep them at Azure.

There are gradations of this too. My spouse, a stone introvert, works in a mostly open environment - very low dividers - being remodeled to full open, no hiding. Her group, including the extroverts, managed to fight off the change in their area as destructive distraction. But they're policy people, not developers.

Fixed. Derp.