Time Management and Interruptions

I think Chris Parnin did a good job describing the issues in programmer productivity in his blog, "Programmer Interrupted". Interruptions kill concentration.

Pomodoro is interesting way to manage your time. Personally, I don't set a timer. However, the notion of focused activity for about 25 minutes rewarded with a brief break makes sense.

He discusses headphones which I use in noisy environments when I need focused attention. However, normally I have music in the background playing over basic speakers. The music is there as white noise so unusual noises don't distract me. I've always thought the type of music is not important as long as it doesn't generate added interruptions.