Just a silly dream of mine

[Snapshot9]

I am getting to be an ole fart (but still cute), but I kind of have this dream ...

I am 56, and over halfway done getting my Masters in Information Technology via the internet (through Aspen University in Denver). I already have about 24 years experience in Information Systems. My aspiration is to be CIO for a fairly good sized company. I do want to stay in the Midwest (I live in Wichita, Ks now).

I have been playing Pool for over 42 years, and although not my life's work, I do spend a good deal of my time involved with it in some way, and am fairly accomplished in my main hobby having taken 9th in Vegas singles, won a state championship, seniors championship, published a billiards newsletter, played for thousands, etc..

I would love to combine my experience and education with my dedicated interest in Pool and work for a billiard oriented company as their CIO eventually (within 2 years). I have many ideas how to advance Pool as a sport some of them using Information Technology as a tool, but I don't want to work for slave wages either since my marketability should be fairly high.

I am open to suggestions or leads to companies that could be a goal for this to happen.

One vision is for large rooms to have a wall mounted 6 to 12 foot screen tied to a computer with the computer running a software program to run a tournament and report tournament standings so players can view standings on the big screen anytime they like and not iniundate the director with so many questions and interuptions. Yes I could develop the software to do this. And the big screen would also be tied to the jukebox or cable to play music videos while not being used for tournaments. Final standings of the tournament from the PC could be uploaded to the internet to be posted and reported on or to be merged with other tournament data from other regions.
Maybe the big screen could have a joystick on it to move around the different areas of the brackets to find a particular player if needed.

I have many visions related to Pool, this is just one ...

 

[Snoozy]

One vision is for large rooms to have a wall mounted 6 to 12 foot screen tied to a computer with the computer running a software program to run a tournament and report tournament standings so players can view standings on the big screen anytime they like and not iniundate the director with so many questions and interuptions. I have many visions related to Pool, this is just one ...

Good idea, but first market this to casinos/cardrooms where they run poker tournaments. Pool is like a red headed stepchild compared to poker. There's just no extra money anywhere near a poolroom and pool isn't going to get it's allowance this week once again.

Snoozy

 

[sjm]

Snnozy made some good points, to which I'll add. With due respect, and with admiration of you for your good intentions, this is a "silly dream".

I, too, am an IT professional, and I've been around pool for 38 years. If I were in a position to offer some consultation within the industry really cheap or even for free, I'd do so happily, but I'd never try to combine pool and my professional life.

The reason is that although information processing is certainly relevant to pool, relative to most other businesses and industries, the amount of data to be processed and analyzed in the world of pool is minuscule.

 

[catscradle]

...
I, too, am an IT professional, and I've been around pool for 38 years...

Assembler, cobol, tape to tape master files, and piles and piles of punch cards ehhh? Been there, done that.

 

[CaptainJR]

A programmer! Want to do something for pool?

Virtual Pool 3 I think is still the best pool computer game out there, maybe not, haven't played it for a while and haven't really looked into or heard of any new ones that are better.

The main thing that was wrong with it (them) was the reaction off rails. They couldn't recreate the give in the rails. For example all of us here know how you can take a bank shot that is going to double kiss, use inside english, hit firm and avoid the double kiss. You can't do this in computer pool games because they have not been able to create the give in the rails.

 

[Zims Rack]

Snnozy made some good points, to which I'll add. With due respect, and with admiration of you for your good intentions, this is a "silly dream".

I dissagree! If you have a dream about making the pool scene better, then by all means go for it! Not enough people believe in themselves or their ideas. If you have an idea, create it, market it to the right people and it will take off like a rocket or just set there and idle. You should never look back in life and say "What if...?"
Personally, I'd go for it!!!!
Zim

 

[bill190]

Might want to start your own company.

One area that needs attention is equipment sales and web sites.

For example some cue manufacturers offer all sorts of options like different joints, etc., yet many web sites selling these products don't give you that choice. You can choose weight and that is it. A few web sites (very few) give you all sorts of options when ordering. I think a lot of billiard sales companies lack the technical expertise to implement these things. Also there are a lot of billiards products, yet many are only available on one or two specific web sites. Books are a good example. Some books are only available from one web site. Old Moori tips/Moori III tips? Web sites don't say what you will be getting, etc.

Also Valley coin-op tables manufacturer (division of Brunswick) has printed parts manuals, but they are not on their web site. Also can't order parts online. (http://www.vdlp.org/) I think table sales companies/manufacturers/distributors could use some web site help.

And many billiards publications are lacking web site expertise.

Maybe no [one] business would need you full time, but all businesses combined have a lot of work which need to be done...