august 24, 00

OFFICE CONGESTION & POLLUTION

Congestion. And pollution.

Problems we all encounter. And no-- not just in the city streets.

Recently, I've had to deal with it in my office workspace. See, after a reshuffling of team members, there's been a re-assignment of places in the office. The artists who used to be in a different room are now in the same room as us tech and content people. (Yes, I work in a Web Development company.) So, suddenly in place of four people, there are now nine in the same room. And while I like these guys and gal, well... I have to admit, I sometimes hate their music.

I know I am spoiled. I've had the room mostly to myself these past months-- and I've been able to play ANY music I like whenever I want. So, I have been trying to cope with the arrival of these artists and their humongous sound systems and their banal music. Their computers are equipped with Altec-Lansing Surround Sound speakers and subwoofers, while ours are mere Creative soundblasters with the typical desktop speakers setup. Sigh.

Definition: <Noise pollution = music that you don't like being played.>

Working while old Earth Wind & Fire hits blasting in your ears may be good for artists but they're too irritating to me. Dammit. Leave those old 'gasgas' hits alone already and give your ears a rest. Give yourself some candy that's nutritious.

So. I moved out. Found an unoccupied computer and confiscated it for my usage, outside of that tight little room with too many people and loud, overzealous pop music.

You ask why I didn't just ask them to turn it down. I did. Several times. The volume just goes up again when I'm not around. And I cannot live that way. Plus the sheer number of people in the room and the traffic that ensues with staff walking in and out... it's just too awful to bear.

So on my lunchbreak (which was a ghastly 2:30 pm today) I went out and bought an MP3 disc with 12 albums of classical music. I am now writing this while Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 19 flows pleasantly thru these diminutive speakers like rainwater.

Good thing there are still empty computer units out here.

It's improved my mood by major leaps and bounds.

Looks like I work better alone in an undisturbed corner.

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