Gawker: valleywag, 10 worst workspaces

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

Nicholas Carlson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

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 15:20:00 EDT

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 13:20:00 EDT

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 09:00:00 EDT

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 21:00:00 EDT

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.

Mozilla's Toronto office

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:59 EDT

Mozilla
Most people who work on Mozilla's products don't get paid. Actual employees in Mozilla's Toronto office have it much worse. (Photos by menros)

Next: Mahalo

Mahalo

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:56 EDT

Mahalo
Mahalo founder and CEO Jason Calacanis not only pays his "guides" between $30,000 and $35,000 a year, he also houses them in what appears to be a poorly lit, post-apocalyptic strip mall. (Photos by Conrad)

Next: Google

Google

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:55 EDT

Google
We listed the Googleplex as on of the top 10 workspaces in tech because of its amenities. But with its kindergarten campus color scheme, lava lamps, scooters, and ball pool, Google's headquarters often seem designed to to hide its most prevalent feature: gray cubicles. Anything to keep the drones from remembering that they're just one out of the corporation's 16,800 employees, we suppose. (Photos by titaniumdreads, emerce, tantek, revdancatt and yoz)

Next: Microsoft

Microsoft

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:54 EDT

Microsoft
Microsoft's world headquarters in Redmond, Washington go the other way. Welcome to the Borg cube. No talking. (Photos by taguri and ilikeyesterday)

Next: LinkedIn

Jajah

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:52 EDT

Jajah
The poor souls at Internet phone company, Jajah. No one should have to suffer through so much purple outside of Sunnyvale. Also, when does corporate graffiti get added to ThingsWhitePeopleLIke.com? (Photos by Jajah)

Next: Facebook

Facebook

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:51 EDT

Facebook
Food wrappers everywhere and a little smelly — Facebook's offices remind me of my sophomore hall. Except instead of drunks vandalizing the place, Zuckerberg paid a kid to go at the walls with a spraycan. This was done to reinforce Facebook's vibrant, youthful culture by ensuring any visiting adults would rather gouge their eyeballs out before ever returning. (Photos by Outer Edge Studio, fcb, eston and cavemonkey50)

Next: DoubleClick

DoubleClick

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:50 EDT

DoubleClick
Here is DoubleClick's office in Colorado. I've never been there, but I know for a fact there are more Cathy cartoons pinned against gray cubicle felt in this office than any other in tech. (Photos by Ben Saitz)

Next: Adobe

Adobe

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:49 EDT

Adobe
Adobe's headquarters are as warm and human as Photoshop's user interface. (Photos by Tom Ferris/Security-Protocols, nikonfans and glub)

Return to the beginning of "The 10 worst workspaces in tech."

Yahoo

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:48 EDT

Yahoo
Think anybody's ever kicked the plastic white picket fence in Yahoo's New York office? How about one of the lounging employees? (Photos by skreuzer)

Next: Mozilla's Toronto office