Reply to: Music in the Workplace

[lilelvis2000]

Wife frowns on it. What does my wife have to do with it you ask? 'Cause we share offices.

[Platypus]

Is music allowed?

So you don't consider yourself a professional then?

[BoredBloke]

So in go the ear buds and crank up the volume on the iPod. Had them use the H&S argument but that didn't work. I just pointed out, the red flashing strobe is beside the fire alarm for people with hearing difficulties so I'll keep my eye on it after the room has emptied.

I think I'd be hard pushed to burn to death simply because I had my headphones on. It's not like I'm not going to notice the office suddenly empty, the strong smell of smoke and the flames lapping at my feet. Also what sort of hearless fekers would they be to evacuate the building and not to tell somebody because they had their headphones on.

[bogeyman]

Nothing more spooky than walking into an office full of devs, all with their headphones on, tapping away on their keyboards, or staring into space (conceptualising, clearly)...

Indeed. Whatever happened to the banter, practical jokes, fist fights etc.?

When I were a lad, the office was like Bedlam.

Most corporate dev farms now are full of insipid 20-somethings who look like pallid little weeds, growing in a polytunnel.

Vacant stares, blank minds, and the faint, endless 'tish tish tish tish' of the iPods.

They all seem to want to scream out "KILL ME NOW!"

[BoredBloke]

I'd just sit there humming to myself in that case.

I find playing the music in your head, rocking to it and blowing spit bubbles freaks the client out a bit - especially in an interview.

Conversations such as

If killing women is so wrong why does god reward me with the flashing lights and the beautiful music then?

has a similar effect.

[miffy]

I worked at a place where they wouldn't allow music at work and I found it really hard to concentrate. Most places I have been are ok about it though.

I had that once too (as a permie though). I can't code or read/write technical documentation in an open plan office with crazy frog ringtones & dosey permies, bitching and talking about drivel when I'm trying to work.

So in go the ear buds and crank up the volume on the iPod. Had them use the H&S argument but that didn't work. I just pointed out, the red flashing strobe is beside the fire alarm for people with hearing difficulties so I'll keep my eye on it after the room has emptied.

[DimPrawn]

I worked at a place where they wouldn't allow music at work and I found it really hard to concentrate. Most places I have been are ok about it though.

I'd just sit there humming to myself in that case.

[BoredBloke]

I worked at a place where they wouldn't allow music at work and I found it really hard to concentrate. Most places I have been are ok about it though.

[TheFaQQer]

I record the meetings that I think may be more argumentative, so I keep an accurate record of who said what.

If anyone asks, that's what I'm listening to.

[Solent]

Nothing more spooky than walking into an office full of devs, all with their headphones on, tapping away on their keyboards, or staring into space (conceptualising, clearly)...

As a developer myself that can freak me out too...

[DimPrawn]

I regularly use my MP3 player at work - it drowns out the noise, which means I can concentrate better.

Downside is that I can't hear people closing in on me, when I'm posting here...

Watch out!

too late.

[TheFaQQer]

I regularly use my MP3 player at work - it drowns out the noise, which means I can concentrate better.

Downside is that I can't hear people closing in on me, when I'm posting here...

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Can't see what the problem is - if it's so loud you can't hear the fire alarm, it'd be leaking out and making that annoying tsstsstsstss you get on trains and I'd ask you to turn it down anyway Otherwise what harm does it do - never worked in a place where anyone objected. Much better IMHO than being subjected to someone else's choice of radio channel.

[oracleslave]

Correct!

H&S rules yes. General little Hitler rules, no.

So only part correct then

[oracleslave]

What is incorrect?

They can always say that you are behaving "unprofessionally"

Never happened to me before and I do not make an effort to abide by permie 'rules'