I expected something along these lines to be one of the first few comments. I'm in full agreement - my biggest problem with cubes is that they don't block enough out. I sit with my back to the door, and always have on some level of hearing protection - earplugs when things aren't too bad, shooters ear muffs for louder days, and full-sized overear headphones with iPod for the worst days. I don't use any IM, and often times turn off e-mail and check it once an hour. Despite all that, I still have trouble concentrating. I would get absolutely nothing done in the kind of environments they're describing, and honestly I don't want to be able to see any of the people I work with / around.

Off course, my "work" environment may be a little unusual. I'm one of a couple technical people in my area. Most everyone around me seems to have nothing to do and fills the time talking, wandering up and down the aisles, etc. The aisle on one side of me is a phone support group, and they're on the phone all day long. One of my neighbors has speaker phone conferences in her office at least once a day. Our secretary talks loud enough to be heard across the building, and talks often. One of my coworkers is having an affair with an officemate, and I get to listen to her giggling all day when she gets IMs from her beau.

My resume would hit the job sites the day they announced an open area...