tweeterguy - no disrespect intended in the following --

Why would I want to be tethered to a dealer, if I can go my own way? The information technology world, which is where I originate, has a long history of independent software expertise. Obviously, that won't work with Crestron, but it was my original intention to see if that approach was possible.

Crestron wants to keep the level high, and I couldn't agree more. I assume that's the purpose of certification.

If Crestron certifies me as an independent programmer, from a technical/technological standpoint, what's the difference if I achieve that certification while affiliated with a dealer, or on my own?

From my perspective, I can't make a determination about learning their software because it's not possible to even take an "intro" class to the programming language, in order to see if my brain works that way.