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Subject:Re: Workplace aural accompaniment (was RE: Telecommuting ...) From:"Kay A. Pentecost" <kayp -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com> To:Editor in Chief <editorialstandards -at- gmail -dot- com>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com >> TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:54:04 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
Hi Ed <grin>,
I used to feel like I needed quiet to be productive. One day plenty years ago I realized that I had taught myself to meditate on the subway... first New York and then DC ... because I *wanted* to. Then I realized that working at home, when I was a caregiver for my elderly mother, I could ignore everything but her voice. So I freed myself from the delusion that I could only work in a "quiet" place.
Since then, I've been a developer in Agile shops, where we pair-program, all sit in one room, and in one place the entire floor was moveable desks where groups formed and reformed by moving desks around -- I truly believe my productivity has never been better. I was alienated by the concept of pair programing (two people at one computer, programming) at first, but know I love it.
I wonder how pair tech writing would work? <grin>
I'm entertained by the voices on this list... and how the individual bias comes through with words and phrases. For example, did you mean to influence the reader when you used "blasting" for the noise you do not like, and "blessed" for the "hushedness" you do like? Was it intentional or unconscious?
I don't intend any criticism; I'm just fascinated by the power of words and curious about how we use them.
Warmly,
Kay
-----Original Message-----
>From: Editor in Chief <editorialstandards -at- gmail -dot- com>
>Sent: Feb 26, 2013 12:10 PM
>To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com >> TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
>Subject: Workplace aural accompaniment (was RE: Telecommuting ...)
>
> Hmm.
>In a noisy environment, my productivity plummets.
>
>It occurs to me to wonder how many people on this list prefer real quiet,
>how many prefer noisy surroundings, with several conversations going on all
>the time, AND how many need a sound-track (i.e., wear a music machine all
>day) versus those who find music (especially music with lyrics)
>annoying/distracting, too.
>
>Has there been a Techwhirl poll/survey on whether we prefer to work with
>music blasting in our ears or with blessed hushedness?
>
>I don't know about the rest of you but, aside from some tasks involving
>graphics, I don't have very many mindless tasks in my techwriting day. If
>I'm trying to do a task that requires concentration or originality, noise
>is a hindrance. Music is no more welcome than a yappy neighbor dog (Kill
>the doglet, kill the doglet, kill the DOGlet!...[sung to the tune of "Kill
>the wabbit"]) or some chatterbox going on about wedding plans or gossip or
>weekend activities or what they had for lunch, etc.
>
>And... let's get this out in the open... anybody playing rap near me when
>I'm sweating a deadline is asking... nay, demanding... to play a brief
>starring role in a homicide. Well, maybe that should rightfully be a
>"pesticide"? Vermicide ? Disinfection?
>
>No court in the land would.... etc., etc. :-)
>
>
>
>
>On Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 2:49 PM, Cardimon, Craig <ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com>
> wrote:
>
>> Agreed. Yahoo could have done a more surgically precise removal of
>> telecommuting. One done with a scalpel rather than with a butcher knife.
>>
>> Quiet is good, but it's a rare commodity. One of the many reasons I'm glad
>> I got used to working in chaotic and noisy newsrooms in my younger years.
>>
>> --
> __o
> _`\<,_
>(*)/ (*)
>Don't go away. We'll be right back.
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