Seriously people, use the fucking fan. It clears away odors and covers up the sounds of your dropping a deuce. If you want to stew in your shit smell and revel in the music of your magical poop plops, do so in the comfort of your own home. If you're a guest and the bathroom has a fan, turn it on. We don't want to share.
I open the windows. Also the blinds. Then I make eye contact with anyone I can. The poop stares are fun, especially when you're working on birthing a watermelon.
gotta appreciate finnish home design, usually all ventilation systems have exhaust in the toilet/bathroom and intakes in other rooms. no need to switch anything on or off when pooping. also less mold.
After a recent renovation, our new exaust fan is much quieter, and it kind of bugs me. It is nice to be able to leave it running longer, though. The old one was too obnoxiously loud to leave on after you finished a shower.
I always run the fan for the same reasons (and prefer a noisier fan) but it doesn't actually cover the sound outside the bathroom. It just gives you the impression that it does.