Seriously, OTF

[Sam]

Seriously, OTF

One thing regarding the talking ads - like whoever was saying stuff earlier, I don't want to come across as a smart-arse or suggest that because there's a solution to it, it therefore isn't a problem at all, but...

Am I the only person who works in an office where the computers have volume control panels like the ones on a home PC?

[WOM]

Seriously, OTF

Yes, you're quite right. I could have just muted my computer. Here's the thing: I usually work listening to the iTunes on my laptop. I popped in to the board to see what was happening, and suddenly this chime thing starts, right over my music, and it freaks me out. Then I click to a new page, and it loads and does it again. By the time I figured out what was what, it was really bugging me, so I mentioned it.

[Sam]

Seriously, OTF

Ah. In an office where you're allowed to have music on I can see why that's a problem.

[WOM]

Seriously, OTF

On headphones, like. Not out loud.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Seriously, OTF

An office where you wear headphones always seems like a really weird thing to me, too.

[WOM]

Seriously, OTF

I work in an ad agency. A lot of what writers and art directors do is working solo/uninterrupted for long stretches of time, so music is a real help some times.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Seriously, OTF

Yeah I've heard that. Doesn't work for me.

[WOM]

Seriously, OTF

Now, having said that, I can't listen to anything that demands any concentration. I get distracted by lyrics, so stuff like Kraftwerk and Penguin Cafe Orchestra is good for writing to. Art Directors, I understand, can work to anything.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Seriously, OTF

I find it very hard not to sing along.

[Wyatt Earp]

Seriously, OTF

I tried that headphones thing when I worked in an open plan office for a while on secondment. Couldn't be doing with it. But then I couldn't be doing with other people's conversations either. How people get any work done in those places I don't understand.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Seriously, OTF

Depends on the kind of work, I suppose. Or for me it does, anyway. There are times when I need to go and hide and get something done, or work form home. But mostly I find it much better having people to knock things about with, chat to, laugh at, whatever.

[Wyatt Earp]

Seriously, OTF

TonTon wrote:

Depends on the kind of work, I suppose. Or for me it does, anyway. There are times when I need to go and hide and get something done, or work form home. But mostly I find it much better having people to knock things about with, chat to, laugh at, whatever.

It absolutely does depend on the kind of work, yeah. But I'd say about 75% of what I do is "lock me in a soundproof box" stuff.

[Reed John]

Seriously, OTF

I hate several of the people that I work with. Hmmm. Hate is the wrong word. The correct term is "cannot stand to be in their company for more than a few minutes at a time."

I used to have an office. I closed the door. It was peaceful. It was nice. But they consolidated our space to save money after they axed a whole load of people in the other Elsevier company that we share space with. So I lost out and now no longer have an office. I have a cube desk.

It's not bad as cubes go, but still... Not only is this an insult that I am adding to the reasons why I want a new job, but it means that I'm bombarded by the idiotic banter of some people who I work with. It's especially irritating because it forces me to think about how bad our current staff is, how much of my job involves making up for their idiocy just so our publication is remotely respectable when I'd like to be spending my time trying to make it great, and how there is nothing that I can do about it.

I'm also near the copy machine, which makes noise and seems to be a congregating point for people who like to chatter loudly. There's also a guy in the other company whose office is a good forty feet away and yet he is really loud and never shuts his door.

So I listen to Pandora, turned up loud, while I work. I usually listen to 80's pop that I like because the familiarity is comforting and therefore not distracting. If I'm in an especially pissy mood I listen to Social Distortion, et al.

[Uncle Ethan]

Seriously, OTF

I turned down a job once because it was open plan. I am very conscious of how loud I am. My normal speaking voice is booming.

My office in our new building is all glass and I intend to put fish stickers all over it.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Seriously, OTF

PM for you, Reed.