Ive been working full time in an open plan office for around 5 years, and I gotta agree, it really sucks! So much noise. I'm a web developer, and trying to concentrate on something while captain smart arse is in the midst of a jovial telephone conference is unbearable, and dam near impossible to work through...

But someone somewhere once said this kind of setup was a good idea, and someone else believed it, and before you knew what was happening we were all working "agile" and having "stand ups"...

All I can say is invest in a good pair of headphones!