Preferred IT podcast listening environment?

Question

Hey. I'm just wondering how the general Stack Overflow listening population choose to best listen to the podcast, and the wealth of others many of you somehow keep on top of. I know it's both subjective depends on your situation, but hour-long blocks attention in one's 'spare' time can be difficult to optimally carve out.

I'm still figuring it out for my needs - not having a lengthy commute, trying to ward off distractions and not letting it start to feel like a chore...

So what environment works best for you all to listen to IT podcasts?

Answer 1

I upload all the podcast in my ipod.listen to it when i travel in bus.Some time before sleep if i am not feeling sleepy

Answer 2

I have a two-and-a-half-hour commute (don't do it every day) so I mainly listen in the car. Occasionally listen at my desk at home.

Answer 3

In my car mostly, but have plugged it into the stereo when I'm doing basic household tasks.

I've tried listening while mowing, shopping, & on walks, but found I was too detatch from 'real life'. I've also tried listening while working, but find I either become distracted and don't focus on my coding or quickly tune out the podcast, missing the entire thing.

Answer 4

i usually upload it up onto a portable mp3 player and listen to it while i commute via the subway train. or if i haven't exercise in a while, i would plan a route for me to walk and i can listen to it while i exercise. well i call it exercise anyway, hehe.

i.e. buying dinner, or groceries, just deliberately going out of my way to a further location so i can i do this.

Answer 5

I don't think you need some special conditions to listen to podcasts. I do it when I cannot do anything productive - mostly when using public transportation or walking. Sometimes it's hard to concentrate, but I don't mind. I treat podcasts rather as a way to widen my perspectives, not actually learn the thing (there are better ways to do this).

Sometimes a podcast is a great excuse to leave the computer and go for a walk. On the other hand because of podcasts I don't listen to music as much anymore.

Answer 6

I listen when running.

Answer 7

I listen when coding the trouble is that when I am concentrating I miss half the podcast. So I'll relisten to a podcast 2 or 3 times before I get it all in.

Answer 8

Since listening to Stackoverflow podcast during my daily traffic jam, I don't bother too much about it any more as it gives me the opportunity to listen to the complete podcast in one trip.

Answer 9

I listen on the work out bike and during my 15 minute travel to work as well as when I wash my car weekly. All those add up to a few hours worth of listening time per week which is almost more than I can muster insterest in podcasts for! So I alternate with music.

Answer 10

I upload my podcasts on my PDA and listen to them whenever I have a boring activity to do. Such as:

• eating dinner
• commuting to work
• jogging / fitness

Answer 11

I listen a lot while commuting. I cycle in to work and have a mono earpiece so one ear is traffic and the other ear is burble. You can't always concentrate to the extent required, but generally you can get enough through the road-related concentration to not have to re-listen.

In the morning it's generally BOL, but the ride home is longer so needs a longer fix, the SO podcast is on the rotation.