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Enabling Technology for the Workplace pt. I: Listening

Posted by Jeremy Voorhis Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:27:00 GMT

Skill level: beginner

In this article, you will learn how to:

• make your workplace more enjoyable
• improve your focus
• let your boss know you mean business

As a technology worker, you are undoubtedly accumulating tools and practices to help you do your job better. One such tool that I consider absolutely essential is a solid pair of headphones. headphones allow you to privately listen to an audio recording.

Choosing Your headphones

There is an overwhelming number of vendors who claim that their headphones are the best. As always, when procuring technology there is typically no right answer, although some are decidedly better than others. For a quality pair of entry-level headphones, I recommend staying in the $50 – $80 range. My own field testing has found Audio-Technica’s AT-30 model to be suitable. Other recommended vendors include Sennheiser and AKG. Some users prize earbud-style headphones for their orthogonality to hair. Use what works best for you.

Usage

Typically, one end of your headphones are meant to be worn, while the other end terminates with a standard 1/4” connector compatible with an audio device such as a personal computer or iPod. Although there are other conceivable uses, most users tend to prefer listening to popular music recordings with their audio device. Though building your own library of recordings is beyond the scope of this article, here are some selections of my own collection that I can safely recommend:

• Galaxie 500: On Fire
• The Cure: Disintegration
• My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
• The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground

Use these as a starting point and go from there.

Beneficial Side-Effects

Listening to music at the workplace is an excellent way to reduce stress, but also makes you less susceptible to the boss’ pointless jokes or nagging interruptions. While headphones also facilitate the achievement of that mental state known as flow, you will notice yourself being interrupted with dwindling frequency as you give off the impression of being fully concentrated. ”He’s in the zone!”

Where to Go From Here?

While headphones are certainly useful, they do not operate stand-alone. You may want to invest in an mp3 player such as an iPod. The iPod is also noted for its integration with popular music delivery channel iTunes, although you are certainly not limited to iTunes. Some users prefer alternatives such as eMusic or even services that provide tangible goods.

Finally, some steps can be taken to automate certain tasks, such as gloating about your eminently superior taste in music. Interweb sites such as last.fm are available to assist you in this task. There is even a plugin for RBot, an IRC robot, that can be used to share what you are listening at any given moment. IRC is a professional tool for asynchronous communication and collaboration with historical roots. (You are using IRC, aren’t you?)