iPod Etiquette

I agree with your iPod Etiquette rules. Why can't people put them away while spending time with family & friends?

It was interesting that you assumed that each of these people used their iPods to listen to music. I bought an iPod Nano last year. I listen to podcasts (mostly tech news) for an hour or two every day, but I have never used it to listen to music.

I agree, and would like to add a couple more:
Please do not wear your earbuds while driving, it is illegal in most places and stupid everywhere.
Also, please do not listen to the iPod while jogging or biking along public streets (especially while jogging with, or cycling against, traffic- again, rules of the road, common sense, etc.).

Wanna crank up some Metallica while mountain biking in the woods? Great!
Listen to TWiT as you run by the river? Wonderful!
Oblivious to the world while in the street? Make sure your ID is legible so they get your name right in next year's Darwin awards.

I totally agree with the article. However, in terms of comments, I think it is pretty lame that so many people can't exercise unless they have their ipod with them. I think that's pretty lame. People should be able to get out the door without being plugged in.

But then again, I guess it's nice that they're at least getting out and exercising.

Ok, I guess this doesn't have much to do with the article. Carry on.

While scanning the room I saw another group sitting not to far from us and right in the middle of this group was a guy with the iconic white headphones in his ears. Yes these days that could be one of many MP3 players but I'm going to assume it was an iPod, not that it really matters. I don't get it, lets forget that you are in a bar, you are with your friends talking and laughing and having a good time, so why do you need the iPod.

Maybe one of his friends had something on there they wanted him to hear?

And did that ruin your night? That's the way you make it sound.

Agree. The other one I'd add is if you're wearing your headphones while shopping, turn the music (or whatever) down when you're checking out, or pull out an earbud so you can hear the cashier. It's very rude to sit there asking "what? what?" solely because you can't hear over your ipod. It's not the cashier's fault that you can't live without your britney for two seconds. :D

I earnestly agree with all of your rules L T! Pod etiquette should come with the iPod packaging.

I'd just like to add my personal pet peeve: when people don't take out their iPod when they are around buskers. These are people who take time out of their day and put their dignity on the line to entertain people. I can't say that all buskers are talented and worth listening to but you should at least take out your earphones to give it an honest listen. Afterwards, if it isn't what your into, just go on listening. At least you gave them a chance!

I'd personally prefer listening to live music over my iPod any day, if not for musical reasons, then just to laugh at psuedogoth punkers playing me their power ballads on an Art and Lutherie.

Yes! I totally agree with you!

First of all I have a friend that has an iPod and he does tend to have it on in one ear when i'm just hanging out with him. Sure he says that he can hear both, but it really makes me wonder when he replys to everything I say with "what did you say?" I myself have an iPod and would feel very uncomfortable using it in front of friends like that because I would feel like I was disrespecting them.

Thumbs up, a well thought out story.

people who can't figure that stuff out on their own probably can't read anyway.

but i agree with ya.

my pet goat, books on pod.

I agree that there is something fundamentally wrong with not being able to unplug, but I found I had some of my best workouts while running on the treadmill and watching Arrested Development or The Office on my iPod.

I want to run for twenty minutes, and those episodes are twenty minutes long. So I run my ass off and don't even realize it because I'm so caught up in the show.

Also, I agree with all rules except:

3. You don't need your iPod to eat.

Food tastes much better while listening to music you like :)

I think people keep the earbuds in situations like those in the article because they have a need to show off their iPod, not because they can't be without their music. It's incredibly lame. I saw a late-20s guy at a grocery store with his wife who had his iPod on the whole time. I also frequently see this same guy at one of my favorite bars which is very obviously dominated by college student. I see his iPod use as a desperate need to look hip while surrounded by young people.

To me, keeping your earbuds in when you're out with friends is just a lame attention-grabbing ploy, just like preppy teens I see wearing their North Face jackets in much-too-warm weather. I always want to tell people who do stuff like this the same thing: Everyone else has one. You're not special. Put it away.

A friend of mine has this girl who always comes to her party who plays her Game Boy Advanced the entire time. Then - when we switch on a film (which we never watch, but rather make fun of), she complains that we should just enjoy each others company and not distract ourselves with a movie. I have yet to see her without the game (even in movie theatres or diners).

Same problem - different electronic device.

Another personal peeve of mine is when people have their iPods excessively loud in confined spaces (such as trains, elevators etc). It certainly doesn't have to be so loud as to disrupt other peoples silence!!

I only disagree with number 3. on your list. It depends on where one is eating, if I'm at food courts or places where you have people shoving menus or whatever else in front of me then I've no problem keeping the earphones in. It's as much about defining my personal boundaries as a desire to listen to music.

There's nothing wrong with a motivational mix to get you going in the morning. I run marathons and it is not easy to go out there at 5 or 6 am for a 6 mile maintenance run. Training can be even harder when you know you've got a good 3 hours of jogging ahead of you. I have even on occasions listened to books I wouldn't normally have time for. Now if you're not smart enough to keep it at a level where you can hear what's going on around you, that's natural selection at work and you probably should not be playing in traffic. I would never wear one during a race though as it's considered bad ettiquette and is very dangerous to yourself and the runners around you.
IPods keep other peoples noisy children away too.

I agree.

Another thing that annoys me is when I see groups of girls in the street or the shopping centre or something, all of which are on their mobile phone talking to someone else. Why are they together if they aren't going to talk to one another? I guess their are some things i'll never understand.

They wear the headphones as if they are a fashion accessory nothing more.

i use the ipod and its iconic headphones as a "do not disturb" sign while i am working in the studio but i do think it pretty funny when i see two (or more) people together, but rather than communicating with each other, they lister to the "pods"

i also agree with runner guy charlie -b (well all except for the running part) i almost always ride my bike with them, but i'l usually adjust my situational awareness when im not on a bike path or if near traffic.

I'm in the minority, but I'm going to disagree (slightly). I do think there is a measure of disrespect, but in the situations you pointed out, there may or may not be. First off, in a bar situation, in lieu of cotton balls to protect your ears, your headphones/earbuds etc. can work exceptionally well. Just turn off the volume and leave them in, it lowers the ambient sound all around you. Of course it means that participating in conversations maybe a bit harder; but you're at a loud bar, conversations mostly consist of screaming matches and hand signals.

Now with the kid at dinner, yes his parents had the perfect right to request him not wear the earbuds at all, but they didn't. Maybe they didn't because they didn't want him to be bored with their conversation. If I were the parent, I'd probably request full attention, and try to get the kid to participate in the conversation. But many parents don't bother. They figure having the kid there is more than enough effort on their part. So let the kid enjoy some music, a book, or even a podcast or comedy show while, occasionally answering the random question or comment from his parent.

I'm not disagreeing on the "certain amount of disrespect" comment. I think that's true. I'm weighing the amount of disrespect against the amount of boredom that may be suffered through. Here's my story...

I wear my headphones often and in an array of situations that I shouldn't. I know I shouldn't, but I find that the music has improved my "performance". I provide technology consulting—everything from database design to application support. This means that a good portion of my time is spent with code, bugs, operating systems, or hardware; and the rest with people. The people of the equation are a rather mixed bag: some are great—mostly nice, occasionally pissy, but generally fairly respectful, just trying to get their jobs done. But not everyone falls into that "some are great" those that don't range from murder inducing to irritating whines, and lets not mention the very long winded.

In the course of providing service, I noticed that its very easy to keep the iPod going and still listen to everything the person is telling me. To do this I: (1) turn the volume down, (2) wear only one ear piece, (3) make sure I pay attention to the individual, and (4) trade the standout iPod earbuds, for something less visible to the average eye.

Obviously, item three sounds like a contradiction, but it really isn't. When someone is screaming at you or rambling on indefinitely, it's very hard to focus your attention on them. Either your mind wanders, or you start adding more fuel to the fire of your own anger by mentally repeating things they said that irked you, buoying up your arguments and justifications, etc. I doubt if its just me, but I find I can focus on a variety of things. I code with music on. I design with music on. And now I provide technical support and user assistance with music on as well.

If Joe Blowing Steam is spewing out a mouthful of not so niceties, I place my primary focus on the music, my secondary on whatever I'm able to filter out about the problem, and then taking in and diffusing the heat of Mr. Steam-head. Typically Jow Blowing Steam will run out of steam, if I don't engage or aggravate him, and listening to music allows me to accomplish that with far less stress on my psyche than without. He may not know what he's talking about, but he does have some things he does know: (1) he's mad; (2) I'm available for him to be made at; (3) some deadline is about to occur; and (4) whatever he needs to accomplish isn't getting done. He may even occasionally offer little tidbits of what the problem was, but not often.

My goal is to come up with an alternatives to accomplish item (4), before he runs out of steam, and then assure him a little. If listening to Coldplay or Britney Spears allows me to do so more effectively than more power to the iPod.

Admittedly, it's situational ethics, but I don't see it as anymore offensive than friends, clients, or colleagues who answer their cellphones in mid-conversation with me and expect me to wait for them to finish it up; or who meet up with me and then proceed to talk on the phone with someone else, etc., etc. In fact, I admit to feeling it's less offensive. You can minimize how noticeable and disruptive the iPod or any MP3 player is in most situations by your choice of headphones, adjusting the volume, and actively paying attention (its just not your full attention).

I also admit, my habits are ingrained enough that sometime, I don't even realize that I have music on and no one else does. Obviously, I recognize the music is there, but its more like background music or elevator music. It doesn't really interfere in what I'm doing; and if it does, if I have to ask someone to repeat themselves when they weren't mumbling, or anything like that; I turn it off.

I don't feel that people should be plugged in all the time. Not to your iPod, your cellphone, your laptop, Palm Pilot, etc. But if your often plugged in then there are a number of ways to make it respectful to others around you. I carry a cellphone for emergencies. If I'm out with a friend, and expecting a call, I pre-warn the friend, and don't answer calls other then the one I need to; as well as turning the volume down so its not so disruptive. If my iPods in, I always make sure the volume is down, and one ear is completely free of piped sound. But also if we're talking about something important, I turn it off.

I think keeping the white earbuds is more of a fashion statement than anything else. Tons of people say they are great earphones, but my thoughts are, if they are that noticeable, then you have to accommodate people by taking them out, or making a show of turning your music off. It doesn't bother me if someone is listening to music while talking to me. Maybe thats from a childhood spent with friends coming over to listening to music and talk or play.

Re: iPods while exercising - I know that I need mental stimulation as well as physical when I exercise, else I will lose motivation to exercise and cut it short. I would think most people are the same way. I do agree that those that use iPods or similar devices when walking/jogging along busy streets do need to be aware of what they are doing - The ear buds are actually good for this as they cannot block out all sound so you can still hear traffic. But if you're one of those joggers or bikers that likes to do it in the street (where it's legal), you definitely should restrain from wearing any headphone-type device.