Music While Programming? 1019
BubbaDoom writes "In our cubicle-ville, we have programmers intermixed with accounting, customer support and marketing. As programmers, it is our habit to put on our headphones and listen to our portable music players to drown out all of the noise from everyone else. The boss recently sent an email just to the programmers demanding that we do not use our music players at work because he thinks it distracts us from our jobs and causes us to make mistakes. Of course, we've explained to him that prattle from the other people is much, much more distracting, but he insists his policy is the right one. What is the Slashdot community's experience with music at work for programmers?"
office space (Score:3, Funny)
Well, don't listen... (Score:3, Funny)
Don't hear the music. (Score:2, Funny)
When I'm really coding I don't hear the music.
A few weeks ago I had album shuffle on, using laptop speakers in office when someone came in.
It was half way through my child's nursery rhymes and I hadn't even noticed.
I quickly shut it off - I guess my guest thought my taste in music was a little strange.
Re:Def better with music (Score:2, Funny)
I'll bet it's one of the people making the noise that's behind the complaint. Probably somebody who, for sound[1] reasons, can't listen to music while working.
Yes, since you ask, I did just glance over at sales.
[1] sorry
Re:Other reason (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Programming without music? (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe you were DISTRACTED by the MUSIC.
Re:Def better with music (Score:5, Funny)
Re:music as a distraction? depends (Score:3, Funny)
There are two ways to listen to music.
1. Passive ... this is what MOST people do when they listen to music as they do things. ... this is where you pay active attention to the music.
2. Active
3. Passive Aggressive. This is listening to Lynch The Man by Rage Against The Machine while writing accounts tracking software unenthusiastically.
Re:music as a distraction? depends (Score:5, Funny)
Huh?
Ah.
Re:Other reason (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Def better with music (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Fire your boss for overstepping his authority (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Programming without music? (Score:5, Funny)
If you're unhappy with your boss, you can always go to his boss and complain.
And if your boss is the company's owner, then you'll have to go to his wife to complain.
Re:Programming without music? (Score:1, Funny)
And that's why you'll never amount to anything.
Re:be constructive (Score:5, Funny)
I assume, since he's a boss, that he has a private office ? If that's the case, offer him to come do some cerebral, non-social work (not on the phone, more like writing a report or something) for a half day in one of your cubicles, and judge for himself if he really thinks he wouldn't have worked better being isolated from the chatter.
No kidding! My company refused to move me until I made the facilities woman come over and stand in my cube and listen to Chatty McSnotsucker gabbing about her latest cleansing diet and the quality of her shits when the laxatives kick in, all the while trying to clear her sinuses from a chronic post-nasal drip evidently made of horse-glue. She lasted three minutes before she left my cube gagging. I got my transfer.
Re:Productivity (Score:4, Funny)
Well of course. Your code is digital and so is your music. Digital + digital = twice as much digital!
Re:Programming without music? (Score:4, Funny)
"While I can accept that music would be less distracting that office chatter, I simply don't understand the concept that music is better than silence."
Dude, you have not heard the voices inside my head. Otherwise, you would see clearly the point being made.
BTW, here's my fave: http://somafm.com/ [somafm.com]
Just sing instead... (Score:5, Funny)
After a few bars of Oklahoma! ... you'll get your music players back.
When questioned, explain that it helps you concentrate on the task at hand. Remind him that IBM hired musicians for the first programmers.
8-bit mix (Score:4, Funny)
But then again, my programming tends to be very procedural (and often 8-bit assembly). YMMV.
About the only common theme seems to be order, as opposed to chaos.
Re:Use ear protection (Score:3, Funny)
How about a set of really big ear covering protectors that have "Smith & Wesson" printed on each side, with a picture of a pistol. Or maybe the "Glock" ones.
Re:Option 1c - ADA request (Score:4, Funny)
I worked in a place that used a whitenoise system that utilized ceiling mounted speakers. The unix folks disconnected it in their area and hooked it up to their own amp and music player. The programmers didn't notice - they were all using headphones. The sales guys didn't care - they weren't in the office. And the managers had no clue - they had their own offices.
The windows guys still suffered through it but were on the phone so much it really didn't matter.
Re:Programming without music? (Score:2, Funny)
You were doing so well until that point...
Re:Programming without music? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Programming without music? (Score:1, Funny)
When I really need to get in the zone, I crank up Wagner's Ring cycle. 4 back-to-back epic operas, very chromatic, orchestrated in such a way that has put music lovers into trances for the last 150 years. Trust me, it can be as enveloping as house/techno. Plus, since the words are in German, you won't be distracted by trying to understand them (unless you speak German, of course).
The best part? They total over 16 hours. These four operas are part of one epic story that's supposed to be shown in a 5 day festival in a remote town far away from civilization, at the end of which the theater is burned to the ground in an act of fiery renewal (Gotterdammerung). Kind of like Burning Man.
It's hard to listen to at first, but once you get into it, nothing puts you into a deeper trance-like state for good coding, for longer. Use with caution.
Idea #467 (Score:1, Funny)
I'm going to assume that you are otherwise a flawless code monkey with no history of mental illness... :)
Quit listening to music. Everyday, make one more purposeful mistake than the day before. Quit shaving. Come to work progressively more dissheveled than the day before. A few weeks in, sometime after lunch, jump up and scream "I JUST CAN'T TAKE THE SILENCE ANY MORE!!!" Run screaming out of the building and go huddle in the fetal position next to an outdoor A/C unit. When the guys in the white coats come just keep saying "do you have an iPod?" over and over.
Feign madness for a few relaxing weeks in the loony bin, file for permanent disability. You'll only make 80% of your current pay, but you'll have made your point.
There are dozens of scientific studies that show the benefit of white noise. If you aren't sitting at your cube head banging or playing air guitar, just ignore the rule. You'll probably get promoted to management.
Re:Programming without music? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Programming without music? (Score:2, Funny)
Well, you kind of have to talk to them if you wanna get laid any.
I mean, as much as I long for the good old days when you could just pick out the one you wanted, club her over the head, drag her back and do your thing...today, that will likely land you in jail.
So, yeah, in this say in age, you really do have to talk to people...you now have to use your tongue as the metaphorical 'club' to hit them over the head with so you can get laid without getting arrested.