The "code"
The last time some guys passed through that were on the road I kept my mouth shut, I knew the locals could take care of themselves. The road players took down a nice score between one winning and one placing high in a tournament so the local guys knew what they were facing when they gave them another thousand or two. The road guys weren't hiding their speed, they just weren't being quite honest about who they were and where they were from.
However, let me be blunt, the "code" is and always has been bullshit. The road players were networking and sharing information about local players long before "networking" was a name for it. Once you are in "the book" the road player has a very good idea who he is looking for and what he is facing. Sharing the same information on the road player is just leveling the playing field. The code of silence just helped the road player while they didn't hesitate to share information themselves.
Road players knew who I was, my speed when I played other road players, and how to go about trying to beat me. Why shouldn't we share the same information on road players? Never-the-less, it is still very possible to sail under the radar. When is the last time somebody was sent a picture and asked who someone was? Same on here, when was the last time a picture was published? There are other reasons the road is tough, always has been. I don't think the information age has been what killed the road. More a matter of inflation and a lack of robust pool halls to visit. Too, people today are looking for a level of life on the road that was always a myth.
Hu