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I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

nytimes.com

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Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#151

Post by jacquesm »

ohwp wrote: post #150
jacquesm wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a little farm-house at the end of a dead end street. No traffic, nearest neighbor 100 meters and he's doesn't own a leafblower. Clear view of the fields in three directions for the next 5 miles or so, 20,000 sq ft lot. It's been up for sale for 2 years, if you're interested ;) http://www.funda.nl/koop/oudezijl/huis-4510315-oudezijl-1/fo... Ideal spot for quiet hacking and that new YC EU headquarters!

I'm going to be your neighbor! Just have to convince my wife. But serious: I've got family living 1 km away from your place and they always notice cars passing by because it rarely happens.

> Just have to convince my wife.

You're getting dangerously close to figuring out why it is up for sale ;)

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#152

Post by jacquesm »

babby wrote: post #104
anigbrowl wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live near both those things and can put up with the intermittent noise. Leafblowers are an invention of Satan and must be destroyed, preferably along with their owners and operators. They are the epitome of laziness.

I wonder if the majority of the noise can be snuffed by using a battery powered electric motor, or if it's the fans that generate most of the sound... A Silent leafblower sounds like a potential invention.

You'd make a lot more money by inventing the silent vacuumcleaner.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#153

Post by jacquesm »

aylons wrote: post #92
jloughry wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would work for the rest of my life to pay for a device that turns my ears off temporarily. YC2020? I logged in just to upvote this idea.

Break your tympans, get a cochlear implant.

I know a small kid that has a cochlear implant (born with some bits missing). The sound quality is quite horrible. Better not be a fan of music.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#154

Post by jmtame »

tzs wrote: post #120
jmtame wrote: post #62

This used to be a problem when I started working at a company in 2009. Lots of office noises and conversations going on, I couldn't focus. Pretty sure I have an oversensitivity to noise too, as mentioned in this article. The solution for me was buying a (not cheap) pair of Bose QC15 noise-canceling headphones. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

That worked? I had to deal with conversations happening near my office a while back, and looked into noise-canceling headphones, but the reviews and articles I read claimed that they didn't do a good job on voice. They were designed for the kind of continuous noise you get from things like airplane engines, not for sporadic things.

Yeah. It worked so well that people would have to turn my office light on or off in order to get my attention, I'd really get in the zone and without external noise I would hardly notice people walking around.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#155

Post by beefman »

Groxx wrote: post #121
nnq wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leaf blowers used by homeowners or the people paid to take care of their gardens are one of the most "typically American" and absurd and annoying things. You almost never hear/see these things around Europe, except some similar contraptions use to take care of very large city parks, for which they probably make sense, and even then they are used at reasonable hours. I mean, using a powered leaf blower to help clean u…

When you're paid to clean leaves off multiple front yards? 15 * yards * days used per year = a whole lot of time. It's really not surprising that they pick what works quickest.

Not at all. I've watched them for years all over California and in a few other States. I used to film them and show friends, back when making movies with a pocket-size device was novel.

They tend to loiter and run the machinery excessively whether it's needed or not. I'm not sure why. A display of 'work theater' to impress their clients? Or maybe it's to keep the driving/onsite ratio reasonable? Like, they have enough clients to make a living and don't feel like doing the extra travel/setup/teardown to add more, but don't want to just go home for the rest of the day when people are supposed to be working, so... run the leaf blower? I rarely see them in a hurry. It's almost like a form of meditation for them.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#156

Post by dpmehta02 »

hvidgaard wrote: post #145
robomartin wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate front lawns. With a passion. But, guess what, I had to fall in line and make mine "pretty", put in some sod and match the rest of the neighborhood. For now I have the greenest and neatest front lawn on the block. Why? We have a culture where you lose value if you adopt arid climate landscape when people expect grass and flowers and that's what everything around you looks like. We had a nice arid climate front…

A lot of people actually like it - they like to have a well kept lawn, and if they want to use their time or money to do that, why not? But I don't like that you're expected, if not directly asked to, to keep it as society wants it to be. However, I can understand that the bank is concerned about the value of the house if they're financing it. Personally I'm looking for a house well outside the city and any far from…

Because it wastes water, which is something a lot of areas cannot afford: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/us/to-save-water-parched-s...

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#157

Post by strictfp »

While quiet time is good for concentration, it totally discourages collaboration. I end up over-analyzing things and procrastinate due to the fear of breaking the silence and collaborating. In my eyes team productivity actually drops in quiet environments. And all lone wolfs head off in their own direction. In short, a recipe for disaster.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#158

Post by robomartin »

dpmehta02 wrote: post #156
hvidgaard wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of people actually like it - they like to have a well kept lawn, and if they want to use their time or money to do that, why not? But I don't like that you're expected, if not directly asked to, to keep it as society wants it to be. However, I can understand that the bank is concerned about the value of the house if they're financing it. Personally I'm looking for a house well outside the city and any far from…

Because it wastes water, which is something a lot of areas cannot afford: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/us/to-save-water-parched-s...

To add to your answer. Yes, lawns waste water. They also require fuel burning machinery to maintain, causing pollution. And then there are the chemicals (fertilizers, weed killers, insect control, etc.). Go back one more layer and you have the sod farms which use water, fuel, chemicals, etc. And I am sure the chain continues for another layer or two.

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#159

Post by arethuza »

pbz wrote: post #136
wisty wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not really the flexibility. Masonry is strong in compression, but heavy, and relatively weak in tensions. It tends to crumble under its own weight. But yes - brick is good in a hurricane, but a death trap in a quake..

In Europe pretty much any old house is made out of brick. They've been through many earthquakes, built hundreds of years ago and still standing; and this is without reinforcement.

"In Europe pretty much any old house is made out of brick."

Depends on what is the most easily available building material - here in Scotland pretty much all old buildings are made of stone (everything from small houses up).

NB Speaking of making things from stone - the 5000 year old village of Skara Brae even has remaining furniture made of stone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skara_Brae

Re: I’m Thinking. Please. Be Quiet.

#160

Post by mprovost »

babby wrote: post #104
anigbrowl wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live near both those things and can put up with the intermittent noise. Leafblowers are an invention of Satan and must be destroyed, preferably along with their owners and operators. They are the epitome of laziness.

I wonder if the majority of the noise can be snuffed by using a battery powered electric motor, or if it's the fans that generate most of the sound... A Silent leafblower sounds like a potential invention.

I have a corded electric one and it's quieter than a petrol model but probably not much. You still have to wear ear protection.
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