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Date:      Sun, 23 May 1999 13:30:05 +0000 (GMT)
From:      Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com>
To:        crb@ChrisBowman.com (Christopher R. Bowman)
Cc:        tlambert@primenet.com, unknown@riverstyx.net, bright@rush.net, hodeleri@seattleu.edu, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Music to code by
Message-ID:  <199905231330.GAA10021@usr01.primenet.com>
In-Reply-To: <199905212309.TAA07729@quark.ChrisBowman.com> from "Christopher R. Bowman" at May 21, 99 07:08:30 pm

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> >Is it just that other people don't concentrate very deeply when
> >coding, or is it that they just don't code very deeply?
> 
> Why do you assume that your inability to concentrate in the face of music or
> other distractions means that every body else has the same problem?

Because interruption is interruption.  People can demand your
attention, regardless of what you will.


> >All of the best coders I have known throughout my career go into
> >semi-autistic funks --  pacing, rocking backward and forward in their
> >chairs, etc. -- while producing their best code.
> 
> Ok, your empirical evidence isn't a horrible basis for judgement, but
> come on do you really think it is unbiased?  I don't find music
> distracting at all, but the two guys that used to site behind my
> cubicle at GE and talk about golf all day, well lets just say I have
> a real hard time screening out human voices having a conversation.

Coding is inherently mathematical, as is music.  Using the same
part of your brain for two activities results in half (or less)
of the effort applied to the activity than if you were using it
for one.

Maybe the people who code to music don't recognize coding as a
mathematical activity?  Or maybe they don't recognize music as
being mathematical?  Either way, it's a division of effort.

I don't think that Twisted Sister is algorithmically biased toward
coding hashing functions... maybe I'm just a different species of
fish?


					Terry Lambert
					terry@lambert.org
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.


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