http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2008/04/04/Epinions_iPod_Music_Office_Policies_Work_Rules.aspxTwo weeks ago, BLR's founder and CEO Bob Brady, waxed eloquent in this space over the many good things about his iPod®, but also expressed his e-pinion that "serious" workers don't have talk radio and music on while they work. Most readers disagreeden-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Debug Build: 60217.2664)http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2008/04/04/Epinions_iPod_Music_Office_Policies_Work_Rules.aspx#849Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:33:54 GMTd41f1d89-8bcd-45c6-82d9-dc5c7ed081a0:849Steve OrrAll this hoopla about the now almost ubiquitous iPods reminds me of something that occurred to me in the early 1990's.  My boss asked me to come into his office one day where he proceeded to tell me that HIS boss had asked him to "speak"http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2008/04/04/Epinions_iPod_Music_Office_Policies_Work_Rules.aspx#850Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:55:09 GMTd41f1d89-8bcd-45c6-82d9-dc5c7ed081a0:850shennesI have to wonder what it is that people do that leaves them in a quiet room for long periods of time that lead them to feel stir crazy from the silence as I assume most who read the HR Advisor are in HR roles which by their very nature require human interaction.http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2008/04/04/Epinions_iPod_Music_Office_Policies_Work_Rules.aspx#851Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:56:53 GMTd41f1d89-8bcd-45c6-82d9-dc5c7ed081a0:851always curiousI work in a cube environment and hear people talking all day long and see them walking by my cube in my peripheral vision.  It is the MOST distracting thing and it is impossible to concentrate!   I work in HR and the idea was to have me visiblehttp://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2008/04/04/Epinions_iPod_Music_Office_Policies_Work_Rules.aspx#853Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:32:23 GMTd41f1d89-8bcd-45c6-82d9-dc5c7ed081a0:853Carri LemmonI am an IpodAholic... can't stand to be without it.  However, i think using one at work, unless you are literally alone, is wrong.  Countless studies have confirmed that humans don't really "multi-task", we just divert our attention