As a counterpoint, interning at an open floor plan company is brilliant. If you're considerate about your coworkers' space, it lowers barriers to conversation (obviously you have to respect space) and just listening in on other conversations helps pick up stuff.

We had private rooms too, and many engineers preferred working in quiet, but I'm glad it wasn't all private offices. I can usually get more out of one minute of conversation than five minutes of instant messaging.

It seems to me that most complaints stem from the fact that many people here have worked with inconsiderate people.