Is taking your shoes off at your desk *really* that bad etiquette? Doesn't everyone do this?

Other than that minor disagreement, this is a fun link.

it is because i've worked in cube farms where people do this and you would not believe how some people's feet reek. there was a chick who worked across from me in one place who could gag an elephant at fifty paces. believe it or not, the usual offenders on this are women (stockings/pantyhose + leather shoes are a nightmare for foot funk). and the worst part is people are generally oblivious to their own funk/BO, so of course they don't see it as a problem.

it's especially bad in offices/labs where they have a no open toed shoe policy, for obvious reasons.

please, if you're gonna go shoeless at your desk in a cube farm, try some of this stuff. seriously.

(*guiltily slides shoes back on, sniffs ambient air*)

A whole article on Pair Programming etiquette and no mention of the most important one, "Take a fracking shower". I had to code with my team-mate at grad school a few years ago who just did not understand the concepts of bathing or laundry. He literally owned two shirts and never ever washed them and if he ever took a shower, it was weekly at best. Gack.

ewwwwwwwwww octo!

And if you said to him, "dude, BATHE." how did he respond?

I'm not as sensitive as most North Americans; I can deal with a lot more body odor, usually, I think, without being totally freaked out, because it's more common here. And anyway - I don't take a shower every day myself.

I don't because it dries out my skin and my hair, and also because of the whole using-up-the-water thing. When it's incredibly hot, like now, I may have a short shower every day ... but, normally? I have a longer shower, like, every third day. And I'm pretty sure I don't smell at all.

And if you said to him, "dude, BATHE." how did he respond?

Laugh and say that he didn't have time. He knew he smelled, he just didn't care.

ah. yuck, then.