Valleywag: 10 Worst Workspaces

Video confirms Mozilla's Toronto offices truly are the worst in tech

Nicholas Carlson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:00 PDT

Toronto-based open-source reporter Sean Michael Kerner seems to have let a pinch of his Canadian pride get the better of his judgment. He writes:

I spent the better part of today at Mozilla's offices in Toronto - the workspace Vallewag labeled as 'the worst in tech'. Mozilla's Toronto office is far from the worst tech workspace I've ever seen - in fact I'd rank it among the best small office spaces in tech I've visited.

Unfortunately for Kerner's case, he included a video tour of Mozilla's Toronto offices in his post. Take a look at the clip and you'll find that there sometimes is wisdom in the crowds.

Tech's worst workspace: Mozilla

Nicholas Carlson — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:20:00 PDT

What's so bad about Mozilla's Toronto workspace? Besides the fluorescent lighting, the colorless white walls and the folding tables, the worst thing about Mozilla's Toronto workspace is how we're sure management would improve it. With corporate graffiti, company logos and too many colors. That was management's trick at Facebook and look where readers ranked it in our poll on tech's ten worst workspaces — as tech's second-worst workspace, just after Mozilla. Check out the full list, below.

Last chance to vote for tech's worst digs

Owen Thomas — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:20:00 PDT

Don't miss your chance to vote for the worst workspace in tech. The poll closes at noon Pacific, at which point we'll announce a winner.

Rank tech's 10 worst workspaces

Nicholas Carlson — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT

After reviewing our post "The 10 worst workspaces in tech," commenter AdmNaismith described Facebook's office, pictured above, as "foggy, dank, dim, and utterly depressing." Commenter mothra1 hated Yahoo's New York offices more: "They suck! Lifeless and impersonal. Kinda like the douchebags who still actually work there." Meanwhile, Adobe apologist BlairHapjo told us we "clearly didn't get past Adobe's lobby," and the rest of the office features "Aeron chairs, real offices (with doors!), big picture windows." For us, the worst offices we found on Office Snapshots and elsewhere were the the ones that try too hard to seem Internet-hip, like Jajah and Google. Now it's time to settle the disputes. Below, vote for your least favorite and help us rank tech's 10 most dismal places to work:

The 10 worst workspaces in tech

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:00:00 PDT

We've toured the top 10 workspaces in tech. Now, we've gone back to Office Snapshots to find the 10 worst. What makes them so bad? Some offend with exposed fluorescent lights, gray cubicles and a dystopian corporate sheen. But others, with their pseudo-hip graffiti, kindergarten toys and plastic decorations — all in a desperate attempt to seem "Internet-y" — come off even worse. We'll start with Yahoo's New York digs.