Odd Habits 2

[Onyxpurr]

Do you have any odd habits while working and how do you overcome them?

For instance, I mumble to myself when I code. I am pretty much oblivious to everything too. So now when I code, I out on some headphones. This lets everyone know that I'm working and to wait a second before interrupting, or think twice before interrupting. It also doesn't make me look like a psycho because at least I'm mouthing the words to a song rather than mumbling like Raymond (Rainman).


I just find it interesting because it seems most of the really intense programmers I know mumble as well.

 

[sha76]

Only mumbling? So you'd find someone arguing with their computer a bit strange then?

 

[BeckahC]

I eat... not a very healthy habit, but I keep junk food (sealed and wrapped of course) in my desk and frequently, when I am stressed or really into a project I will nosh on whatever I've got, then look in the cafe to get more... right now there is an open box of Vanilla creme wafers on my desk and I am sure by lunch I'll get through at least half.

There are also times I will listen to music - I uploaded a whole bunch of my fave cds onto my workstation and have different mixes I've made from them.

BeckahC

 

[hilfy]

I listen to music - mostly folk by various odd groups that few people have heard of (Three Weird Sisters, Emerald Rose, Garnet Rogers, The Brobdingagian Bards, etc.) I tend to hum along, although I try to be quiet about it as I work in cubeville.

-Dell

 

[Rhea737]

Headphones are a must! I work with a gang that loves to stand about and yak loudly about non-job related topics.

I argue with myself, talk back to the machine, drink alot of coffee, and eat snacks.

And every paper, book, etc. on my desk has an exact place, and must be in the proper location or I just can't concentrate.

Post-it notes are outlawed. If I get a post-it note with information, I must copy it onto a standard size piece of paper immediately so I can throw away the post-it.

 

[theoxyde]

I use headphones as well, but I have a habit of singing along. I also talk to myself when thinking things out.

One of the advantages of actually being crazy is that nobody questions it when you have conversations with yourself.

 

[SpiderBear6]

I think it's almost a prerequisite to talk to yourself when programming. Swearing is frowned on here, but if one of the programmers do it while programming, the "normals" just tend to accept it as part of the programming process.

I use headphones a lot. It's my "sign on the door" for "Bother me on pain of death!". I don't actually have a door of course. Programmers don't get offices.



--------------------------------------
"We are star-stuff. We are the universe made manifest trying to figure itself out."
-- Delenn in Babylon 5 - "A Distant Star"

 

[Onyxpurr]

That's interesting to find so many programmers use headphones to tune out distractions. I thought I was one of the few.

As a matter of fact I've gotten many a curioius glance because my preferred music player is an mp3 player. Sometimes I sing out loud, but try to catch myself before I become a distraction to others. Plus the music helps motivate me and relieve stress when I'm working with difficult programs or users.

 

[lionelhill]

BeckahC, I dropped my keyboard this morning (key-side down) and you would not believe how much junk food, crumbs etc. fell out of it. I'm ashamed. It must be the previous owner, honest.
The rest: I have wondered about nicking the ear-protectors because I don't like to listen to music etc. while working, but still want something to deter noisy neighbours. But I thought it'd look rude.

 

[BeckahC]

lionelhill, I am just glad they vacuum most nights around here - I'd have bugs for sure! I am afraid to turn my keyboard upside down... who knows what's gotten in there! :-O


As for headphones, many in my area use them... we do not even get cubicles here, just lines of desks... I really am not interested in what my neighbor is talking about on the phone...

I have an energy mix and a relaxation mix... the first is if I am exhausted the 2nd if I feel strung out

BeckahC

 

[jrbarnett]

At a former employer, a common habit was to shout a derogatory comment (I won't repeat it here) at somebody when their personal mobile (cell) phone rang during office hours.
There was no requirement to switch them off on coming into work at all, even the directors did it and got shouted at by their underlings (ie me and former colleagues).

John

 

[BeckahC]

We're issued cell phones and required to keep them on and with us at all times, 24/7. I still refuse to answer the phone in the ladies room, though!

BeckahC

 

[Tarwn]

Hmm...I don't generally listen to music except when I am coding, and even then it's not really a requirement. I tend to listen to Trance Techno when I'm coding and need some sound simply because it has no words to distract me and flows.
I rarely eat when I work, I've had some long sessions (16+ hours) where I have ingested nothing but coffee and cigarettes...
I do smoke, but no more so then when I am not programming. I don't mumble...wow, I'm wierd

[sub]01000111 01101111 01110100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01100110 01100110 01100101 01100101 00111111[/sub]
The never-completed website:

http://www.tiernok.com/

 

[BeckahC]

I stopped smoking a few years ago and stopped chewing gum so often a year after that - food is just my latest habit.

BeckahC

 

[CajunCenturion]

Talking about things in the keyboard, I remember one time a user calling me saying they were having problems with their terminal. (Yes, terminal, it was a few years ago). The terminal was beeping incessantly with a couple of rows of the letter 'w' on the screen. As it turns out, a staple had wedged itself inside the keyboard, shorting out the 'w' key, filling up the keyboard buffer leading to the beeps.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[benlinkknilneb]

I'm not sure about my own habits... but I REALLY know my cubemates' habits! Hehe... interesting how easy it is to pick them up...

I work with 2 people with, um... irritating habits. I call them "The Whistler" and "MotorMouth".

Some days I can't hear myself type for all the #$%#@@ whistling... and it's not even songs... just random groups of notes (strangely enough, frequently from the pentatonic scale, so kinda blues-y). Not even sustained periods of time... it may be another minute and a half before you get to the next 8-10 note group.

MotorMouth is one of these types that takes 4 sentences to say what anyone else could say in 1. He appears to like the sound of his own voice (which is usually about twice as loud as it would need to be to talk to anyone in the cube farm from his desk).

I keep promising myself I'm going to bring a CD player and headphones... but I haven't yet. Fortunately, I may be transferred soon to another department... so maybe life will be quieter there.

The whistling! It's starting again...


Ben

There's no place like 127.0.0.1.

 

[CajunCenturion]

And benlinkknilneb, you should've heard what they said about you.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[BeckahC]

benlinkknilneb -
I sympathize! In the previous dept I worked in I was given a daily concert of some "golden oldies" and Sinatra, Tony Bennet, etc. Not just the loud playing cds, but the singing along done by one of the women I shared a cube wall with. I am glad to be here, even without cube walls... there seem to be fewer annoying habits from those around me now than there were back there!

BeckahC

 

[johncurtis]

Sometimes I waste hours reading pointless threads on TT ;-)

 

[CajunCenturion]

What is so odd about that?

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein