SIMPLE (should be obvious) solution to noise cafes, etc

[eti]

How to solve noisy environments EASILY
You go to a restaurant, shop etc, and they are SO noisy. Why? Because SO many people lack self-awareness, and we are unable to know how loud we sound to others.
Here is a simple solution to a noisy cafe, etc - if EVERYONE talks loudly, then that sound will carry across the cafe, meaning EVERYONE hears everyone else's conversation, and it all mixes together into a chaotic noise. Then everyone ELSE will talk even louder than this to overcome the noise. If we all speak QUIETLY, our voices are only loud enough to reach others on our table, and fade away quickly (called "drop off") outside our table zone.
See diagrams. The green circles are people who are talking, the coloured rings surrounding them are the sound of their voices. See which of these situation works best - it should be obvious.

I know that this is "no-brainer" level for most of us on this forum - it's a thought that I've had many times, and had to share it for comment. Thanks.

[jonpaul]

not a solution!

Backround noise indoors and outdoor has increased every year due to speakers, mobiles, PA system, backround music, backup warnings

people are not logial,

people are no longer considate or responsable

j

[eti]

not a solution!

Backround noise indoors and outdoor has increased every year due to speakers, mobiles, PA system, backround music, backup warnings

people are not logial,

people are no longer considate or responsable

j

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

[PlainName]

I know that this is "no-brainer" level for most of us on this forum

I think it needs to become a 'brainer' level, then.

The diagram you show is not a typical situation - the people are too far apart and in reality they will be much closer together. Further, some people hear better than others, so will be 'disturbed' by their neighbours when those neighbours aren't by them. To not have people overhear you, you'd need to be whispering.

And, typically, you don't go to a pub for the library-like silence. Pretty much guaranteed to make people afraid to speak. (Unless... if that is what you desire, then go to a library instead.) Most people go to the pub or wherever because of the lively atmosphere, which means 'stuff going on' even if it's at a low level.

If you don't want to be bothered by other people having fun, arguments, innuendoes, etc., then just invite your mates around your gaff instead. Completely in control, and the beer will be cheaper too.

[aeberbach]

Always carry a https://www.tvbgone.com/

Giant TV in the pub showing you Keno results but you're just not stupid enough to join in?
Stupid talking heads on every screen in a building lobby?
Hours to kill in a deserted airport lounge and you don't feel like the infomercials?
Doctor's surgery has a screen showing you ads on an endless loop?

At least you can kill some of the noise.

[wd5jfr]

Hey yeti
Thanks for the sketches and the loudness of conversation is also dependent on the level of nominal background noise and my hearing is negatively impact by loud bangs because they sometime drowned out vital words leaving a sentence meaningless and not understandable.

About 6 years ago I got sudden idiopathic single sided deafness in my right ear.  It happened as I was watching the 5pm news....all of a sudden I started to hear weird noises in my right ear that wouldn't go away so went to the ER and they could find anything wrong, gave me some prednisone and suggested I see an ENT who confirmed SISSD and sent me to a neurologist who did many more tests and told me that the one thing that could be done was a bone condition hearing aid which I tried and wasn't impressed because it lacked stereo. Going out to eat with friends was challenging because with one ear you have no ability to focus your ear or do any cancelling so basically you hear all the noise. So after talking to some people with SISSD and implants I chose not to have the surgery.  Now we only go to restaurants that are somewhat quiet and I can be seated so I can easily point my good ear easily at whoever is talking but background noise is a killer to hearing for me.  AT 82 I'm not much in the mood to eat late so we try to go early and beat noise.  Not many restaurants except very high end ones care about  acoustics
Hank

[thm_w]

Wouldn't work with old people or those who are hard of hearing. Some hearing aids are directional, those might help with the issue.
You can also train your ears to deal with it: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-found-a-way-to-boost-human-hearing-in-noisy-situations

Most likely this is a "you" issue, so its up to you to decide yourself what to do to resolve it, if anything. For me, I just avoid noisy locations, wear sealed earbuds, etc.

[eti]

Always carry a https://www.tvbgone.com/

Giant TV in the pub showing you Keno results but you're just not stupid enough to join in?
Stupid talking heads on every screen in a building lobby?
Hours to kill in a deserted airport lounge and you don't feel like the infomercials?
Doctor's surgery has a screen showing you ads on an endless loop?

At least you can kill some of the noise.

I've made a few of those. Also, 20 years ago, I bought a "One for All" remote; my ex girlfriend and I had great fun in walking around her housing estate, aiming it (from a short distance) through people's windows, trying all the codes in "scan" mode, watching the TVs drop like flies - LOL! SUCH FUN!

[PlainName]

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

Seems to exclude you, then

aiming it (from a short distance) through people's windows, trying all the codes in "scan" mode, watching the TVs drop like flies - LOL! SUCH FUN!

[Halcyon]

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

What does it feel like to live in a dream world eti? 

[Benta]

To turn this in a technology direction:
it's exactly the same thing that happens when people have "bad WLAN connections".
Solution: buy "power extenders, range extenders", whatever.
"I NEED TO SHOUT THE LOUDEŚT!!" All you others can go somewhere else.
Hah!

[eti]

To turn this in a technology direction:
it's exactly the same thing that happens when people have "bad WLAN connections".
Solution: buy "power extenders, range extenders", whatever.
"I NEED TO SHOUT THE LOUDEŚT!!" All you others can go somewhere else.
Hah!

Yeah, that thought hadn't escaped me - exactly!

[eti]

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

Seems to exclude you, then

aiming it (from a short distance) through people's windows, trying all the codes in "scan" mode, watching the TVs drop like flies - LOL! SUCH FUN!

It might behoove you to employ some logic: You don't know me, nor anything about my manners/mannerisms. You see an "internet version" of me. We've never spoken, you've never popped round for dinner, you've never bumped into me in the supermarket, nor come to borrow a screwdriver or a dozen eggs. You don't know my name, my surname, my family, my age, my street... nada.

You see me on a forum largely populated by engineer pedants (pedantry, if contained, is a VERY useful trait, necessary for our trade), many of whom seem to have severe personality disorders and unresolved anger issues. Those people have a history of ganging up on those they disagree with. So, you see the product of someone who has been through their own issues of life, and has had the internet version of "playground bully" syndrome piled on top.

I'm not perfect, I will admit when I feel I am wrong (and not when I am forced into it - "YOU ARE WRONG - ADMIT IT!" - when did that ever work? Psychology, entry level course day one, hour one, minute one, basic lesson, paragraph one.)

We are all at fault, and we all have blind spots to our own failings. I am sorry if I upset people, but often people TAKE what isn't theirs to take, and what isn't being given - offence. If you think you "know" about someone from a cursory, basic level interaction in text mode, as a stranger, that is somewhat naive.

[thm_w]

This is eevblog, you don't need to create a negative "persona" that you are supposedly posting under.

[xrunner]

You see me on a forum largely populated by engineer pedants (pedantry, if contained, is a VERY useful trait, necessary for our trade), many of whom seem to have severe personality disorders and unresolved anger issues.

I DO NOT HAVE ANY UNRESOLVED ANGER ISSUES!!! 

[jonpaul]

Bonjour à tous
à moment please for a bit of history....

Claude Shannon discovered the mathematical Theory of Communication, with landmark papers on communication in the presence of noise, circa 1942, Bell Laboratoires.

The human  eyes and ears are the signal transducers, and brain is Signal processing for extraction the signals from noise background.

The burden of attention and compréhension of voice in the high noise environ is stressful. 
As we age the vision and hearing deteriorate, and our ability to focus and comprehend speech is degraded more and more. For me,  it's a huge learning curve to understand French conversation in a noisey métro or street. The French tradition of politeness and consideration of others is still present.

Sadly in the US I find people are generally  loud , rude and disrespectful.

Finally,  à plot of environmental backround noise vs years, reveals a general increase of 1..2 db per year.

Listening intently for your  thoughts ....

Très amicalement, je vous souhaite une bonne soirée !

Jon

[eti]

Bonjour à tous
à moment please for a bit of history....

Claude Shannon discovered the mathematical Theory of Communication, with landmark papers on communication in the presence of noise, circa 1942, Bell Laboratoires.

The human  eyes and ears are the signal transducers, and brain is Signal processing for extraction the signals from noise background.

The burden of attention and compréhension of voice in the high noise environ is stressful. 
As we age the vision and hearing deteriorate, and our ability to focus and comprehend speech is degraded more and more. For me,  it's a huge learning curve to understand French conversation in a noisey métro or street. The French tradition of politeness and consideration of others is still present.

Sadly in the US I find people are generally  loud , rude and disrespectful.

Finally,  à plot of environmental backround noise vs years, reveals a general increase of 1..2 db per year.

Listening intently for your  thoughts ....

Très amicalement, je vous souhaite une bonne soirée !

Jon

**** That’s what becomes of living in a theme park. Hyperbole and excessive levels of exaggeration mean that “awesome” has lost its actual true meaning, and is about as impactful as “very nice”.

As much as I admire and love my American cousins, they could do with smartening up a little, too. Surely there’s more clothes available than baggy joggers and hoodies; smarten up, scruffs! Here, have an actual American speak on this:

[Buriedcode]

Ahh yes, another eti rant disguised as a question related to technology

[PlainName]

He's dropped the question disguise in favour of a solution looking for a problem.

[pcprogrammer]

Ahh yes, another eti rant disguised as a question related to technology

He's dropped the question disguise in favour of a solution looking for a problem.

You know that at first he was trying to sell it. 

I saw his original post yesterday in the "Buy/Sell/Wanted" section and thought "that is the wrong spot" and I guess either eti himself or a moderator thought that to 

[pcprogrammer]

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

What does it feel like to live in a dream world eti? 

Who does not understand sarcasm 

[The Soulman]

EVERYBODY SIT DOWN AND TALK QUIET! please.

I think this would work in a pub with selected eevblog members, loudmouths not invited.

[eti]

hah! yes! I meant logical solution IF people were considerate.

What does it feel like to live in a dream world eti? 

Who does not understand sarcasm 

The majority of the hyper serious autistic EEVblog hardcore miseries. They’re too serious to grasp the humour of life.

[thm_w]

Sarcasm often does not work well in text format. Unless its incredibly obvious, or you know your audience: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/how-to-show-sarcasm-in-text/
and it may not be a matter of being "too serious". One person might find something funny, another may not, or someone may not understand english language in the same way, etc.

Can write "/s" at the end if you want to make it clear.

[eti]

Sarcasm often does not work well in text format. Unless its incredibly obvious, or you know your audience: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/how-to-show-sarcasm-in-text/
and it may not be a matter of being "too serious". One person might find something funny, another may not, or someone may not understand english language in the same way, etc.

Can write "/s" at the end if you want to make it clear.

Very true. The reason I don’t “/S” is because I don’t want to insult peoples intelligence, and often (maybe erroneously) assume they’ll pick up on it.