You know, I will give you that.

My experience and I would venture to say most of the comments are based on people working in North America (or a similar place).

I would say that likely you work for a company that is either based in India or another similar country. I can definitely see how they would treat software developers like a sweat shop.

And its tough as "change your job" doesn't readily apply.

Even in India startups are not putting any such restrictions. Right after my graduation I joined a startup where we used to play UNO cards, access facebook, hear songs, play guitar etc. But I guess it is just the opposite in software MNCs like TCS, CTS, Infosys etc.

I'm not sure iSnow is in another part of the world, because there are actually plenty of companies in North America that do not allow programmers to bring headphones or use IM at work.

I could understand the IM part. The headphone one?

I don't dispute what you are saying but that seems to much for a software company to be doing in North America.

I agree, but the majority of programmers are not working at software companies. As many old-timers pointed out to me when starting out, software developers are generally treated better at software companies than other companies that may see them more as a cost center than a profit center.

>I would say that likely you work for a company that is either based in India or another similar country

Actually Germany and the company has its strongest workforce in the US.