Fake background office chatter helps me work from home
Posted 11th August 2020 • Written by BBC • • • • •
Being forced to work from home during lockdown has been isolating for many.
Some, like statistician Paul Hewson, have turned to websites providing artificial office noise to help.
The sites, which provide background noises of things like printers and coffee machines, as well as people chatting, have attracted millions of hits during the crisis.
"Having the background office chatter means when I really need to concentrate I can," Mr Hewson told the BBC.
"I don't know whether it is the office sound that works or just having a feeling of human contact."
Mr Hewson has worked in a wide variety of settings in the past, from open plan offices to his own private office in academia.
However, lockdown has been his first "extended experience of isolated working" and he has found it harder to concentrate being in the same environment all the time.
A friend suggested he try one of the increasingly popular "soundboards" available online, which offer a range of ambient noises and let you to control which sounds you put higher in the mix.
Mr Hewson found one called Office Noise Generator which he says helped.
"After about a week I found the photocopier noise was annoying me, so I mixed that out. And voila, when I really need to concentrate I can."
'Started as a joke'
When lockdown hit, a number of experts set up office noise websites, largely as a bit of fun or entertainment. But many workers have found them useful and the response has surprised the people behind the free sites.
Belgium research engineer Stéphane Pigeon, who created Office Noise Generator, told the BBC: "When the pandemic hit and people started to work from home, I released an office noise generator, really as a joke. I didn't think anyone would listen."
But many people did and he says his page has racked up 200,000 views since April. Read the full article click here.
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