21 replies to this topic

[sam_coder]

Just a discussion of general interest.

I personally work with earphones on, I find it less distracting. When coding, I listen to a much different style of music than any other time. Mostly industrial. (stereotypical, I know) :cool:

Do you guys listen to music while working? Do you find it distracting? And what type of music do you other code monkeys listen to?

[fayyazlodhi]

When coding a critical component / algorithmic / fixing critical bug that requires great attention, i can't imagine listening to music. In fact while doing that, i am speaking loudly to myself which is kind of my way of double checking my thinking and steps. That sometimes even bother others if they sit near by :).

Contrary to that when there is a long task going on, which might be designed well already and smooth code flow is going on, i would love and put a large play list along containing all sorts of light music and even heavy metal.

If for some reason people around me are discussing / distracting and i am trying to concentrate on code / design, i would start some fast but rhythmic music so that the flow doesn't break and my thoughts aren't interrupted. At the same time i won't know what people around are talking about.

[WolfShield]

I play music pretty much constantly (programming or not :)).
And I have a huge variety of music tastes. I like (and play) everything from Mozart to Kattie Perry, but the genre I listen to the most would probably be Rock like Areosmith, Guns n' Roses, Poison (probably my favorite band, if I were to have one), Quiet Riot, etc.

- WolfShield

[robbiewoods05]

Parkway drive mofos

[wim DC]

Depends, usually one of these 5.

• Fear FM hardstyle top 40 - April (youtube)
  
• Mumford and Sons cd (except "dustbowl dance" song)
  
• Katy perry - alien (on repeat)
  
• Axis of awesome - 4 chords (on repeat)
  
• Linkin park - 5 songs from the new cd.

[Mentalbox]

fayyazlodhi said:

When coding a critical component / algorithmic / fixing critical bug that requires great attention, i can't imagine listening to music. In fact while doing that, i am speaking loudly to myself which is kind of my way of double checking my thinking and steps. That sometimes even bother others if they sit near by :).

Same. But that's when being serious, or as you say, "coding a critical component". Or for me: when it's not all easy/need to think, etc.

I listen to post-industrial electronica and IDM - doing ANYTHING on the computer, except when I need silence or "have had enough".
Examples: Gridlock, Kettel, The Flashbulb, Plaid, Gimmik, Xploding Plastix, edIT, etc.
If you want to find similar music to what you already like, google "similar music" :) You hackers/programmers should already have thought about that.
(And the first hit returned from Google? Tastekid.)

[rocketboy9000]

I listen to trance or other EDM, though sometimes at night I turn it off and listen to the sounds of pumping bass and drunken laughter from the nearby party district.

[zeroradius]

I listen to anything from a playlist of 90's disney songs to Toby Keith to hammer fall.

For the past two months I have been listing to Bowling for soup's A hangover you don't deserve CD when I work.

[Fractur65]

Mostly listen to Heavy metal normally, but when it comes to coding I don't like having any noise to distract me, even my own. However, if there's other noises in the area that I need to block out then I'll play something while working. In that case its usually something off of a video game sound track. Plain sounds are easier for my mind to block out then lyrics/talking so it tends to work best. If for some reason i don't have then I'll switch to hardest metal song to understand that I can find. (theres no winking smiley on this board?? wow..)

Recently its been a lot of Metroid Metal, the Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey sound track, and Kalmah.

[sam_coder]

I've been turning into kind of a metal head myself lately. Been listening to more Sonata Arctica than I'd like to admit. =)

I dunno, I find that for even really complicated stuff, music actually helps. I don't find it distracting at all. Which is weird, because I can't even play video games when someone is talking to me, or carry a conversation if the TV is going. =)

[Fractur65]

Lucky. :P Really wish it was like that with my mind. No offence to them, but my family can be pretty distracting.. the complex stuff usualy has to wait till late at night after they've all gone to bed.

[sam_coder]

lol,
yeah, I tele-commute. I have a home office, and the company I work for is a good 8 hour drive away. two kids and two dogs make for a very um... distracting workday by times. =)