Ask the Programmer

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Mike Krejci, Director of Programming for CTI, to discuss the factors that contribute to selecting a programming language for a project. Mike's LinkedIn article "How are we going to program this project?" can be found at this link: https://bit.ly/4chAS22. Mike Krejci was previously on episodes 222, 111, 34, and 35. Mike can be reached on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikekrejci/, and CTI can be found at cti.com. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back guest John Smith, an AV Solutions Programmer at New Era Technology, to discuss how he has benefited from being active in the AV programming community and the tips he can share with others in similar positions. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome guest John Smith, an AV Solutions Programmer at New Era Technology, to share his AV journey from technician to certified programmer. John Smith can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-smith-cts-i-820173149/, and New Era Technology can also be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-era-technology-us/. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

In this episode of Ask The Programmer, hosts Steve Greenblatt and James King continue their conversation with Joe Way, Executive Director of Digital Spaces at UCLA and co-founder of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). This episode serves as a continuation of Episode 257, diving deeper into Joe’s work, transforming AV systems into part of a broader smart campus strategy. Joe shares lessons learned from developing unified technology systems across a university environment and challenges AV professionals to rethink how they view their role. Rather than remaining siloed within traditional AV boundaries, Joe explains how AV professionals can play a central role in connecting systems across campuses, buildings, and user experiences. The discussion explores how AV intersects with infrastructure, data, automation, and cloud technologies, and why expanding beyond the traditional definition of AV opens the door to greater innovation and influence within organizations. Connect with Joe Way: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahway HETMA: https://www.hetma.org X / Twitter: @josiahway Also, catch Joe on previous Ask The Programmer episodes 53, 54, and 113. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

In this episode of Ask The Programmer, hosts Steve Greenblatt and James King welcome back Joe Way, Executive Director of Digital Spaces at UCLA and co-founder of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). Joe first appeared on the podcast in its early days (episodes 53, 54, and 113), making this conversation an opportunity to reconnect and reflect on how both the AV industry and the podcast have evolved. The discussion explores Joe’s leadership role in higher education technology, how his team at UCLA implemented "true" Cloud control, and their change in perspective from integrating AV to creating a Smart Campus. he conversation also touches on the changing nature of AV careers, the increasing role of software and systems integration, and the importance of building strong relationships across the technology ecosystem. Connect with Joe Way: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahway HETMA: https://www.hetma.org X / Twitter: @josiahway To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Brian Magrogan, Senior Systems Programmer & Network Systems Engineer at Verrex, to discuss the value of effective technical support and its impact on projects, brands, and decisions. Be sure to also check out Brian's previous appearances on episodes 255, 138, and 139. Brian Magrogan can be found on social media as @bmagrogan. Verrex can be found at verrex.com. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Brian Magrogan, Senior Systems Programmer & Network Systems Engineer at Verrex, to discuss his experience using AI as an AV Programmer and ways AV Programmers, AV Professionals, and people in general can effectively leverage AI effectively. Be sure to also check out Brian's previous appearances on episodes 138 and 139. Brian Magrogan can be found on social media as @bmagrogan. Verrex can be found at verrex.com. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security, at Emerald, to discuss his question about what integrators should know about hiring and retaining internal programmers. Dan Ferrisi can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/), CommercialIntegrator.com, and Securitysales.com. Be sure to also check out Dan's previous appearances in episodes 253, 237, 236, 212, 213, 200, 199, 182, 181, 173, 174, 124, and 125. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security, at Emerald, to discuss whether dedicated control systems will continue to be an essential part of installed AV systems, or whether they will become less prevalent as more products offer apps and their own control capabilities. Dan Ferrisi can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/), CommercialIntegrator.com, and Securitysales.com. Be sure to also check out Dan's previous appearances in episodes 237, 236, 212, 213, 200, 199, 182, 181, 173, 174, 124, and 125. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss the roles and skill sets of a technical manager and a programmer, including where they are similar and where they differ, and explore whether a manager can also be a programmer. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss the role of a technical team manager, the unique skill set required, and the importance of maintaining technical skills. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Jamison Vandenberg, Academic Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to discuss how he promotes AV career paths to student workers through hands-on training and experience. Jamison Vandenberg can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamison-vandenberg-04068430a/ or by email [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Jamison Vandenberg, Academic Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to discuss his AV journey, his pJames King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Jamison Vandenberg, Academic Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to discuss his AV journey, his passion for AV, and his commitment to learning and teaching AV. Jamison Vandenberg can be reached on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamison-vandenberg-04068430a/ or by email [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss the role requirements, skill set, personality traits, and dedication required to be a successful manager of AV Programmers. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt review 2025, discuss their observations and reactions, and share some predictions for 2026. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Chris Kelly, Senior IT Support Specialist at Creighton University and Chair of the HETMA Advisory Board, to share how his background in social work contributed to his soft skills that provide great benefit to his career in IT and AV. Chris Kelly can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-kelly-272155122/, the HETMA Community https://community.hetma.org, and via email at [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Chris Kelly, Senior IT Support Specialist at Creighton University and Chair of the HETMA Advisory Board, to share his AV journey, including his background in social work and then IT, which led him to AV. Chris Kelly can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-kelly-272155122/, the HETMA Community https://community.hetma.org, and [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Kevin Rhodus, Manager of the Platform Integration Team at Q-SYS, to talk about a personal passion project involving the automation and choreography of holiday lights called the Lucy Depp Park Light Show (https://www.lightshownetwork.com). Kevin previously appeared on episode 243, where he shared his AV journey and background in show control. Kevin Rhodus can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrhodus/, the Q-SYS Communities for Developers https://developers.qsc.com/s/, or on GitHub as qsc-kevinrhodus or krhodus. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Kevin Rhodus, Manager of the Platform Integration Team at Q-SYS, to share his AV story, including how he started at the Columbus Zoo, learned show control, and continues to challenge himself to develop innovative AV solutions. Kevin Rhodus can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrhodus/, the Q-SYS Communities for Developers https://developers.qsc.com/s/, or on GitHub as qsc-kevinrhodus or krhodus. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss how to help clients understand what they should be getting in a functional system and avoid settling for good enough. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss on-premises vs. cloud solutions and provide insight regarding the value and challenges of each. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Jeremy Gerick, Senior AV Project Engineer at University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, to discuss how AV and IT differ, what they can learn from each other, and what the future holds. Jeremy Gerick can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-gerick-45621197/ or via email [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Jeremy Gerick, Senior AV Project Engineer at University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, to share his AV journey and approach to projects. Jeremy Gerick can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-gerick-45621197/ or via email [email protected]. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using control programming versus the built-in automation of products. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security with Emerald, to discuss his question about the impact of AI in the AV programming world, and how AV programmers and other professionals can leverage AI to benefit their organizations and clients. Dan Ferrisi can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/), CommercialIntegrator.com, and Securitysales.com. He encourages you to attend the Total Tech Summit (https://totaltechsummit.com) in Orlando, FL, November 10-12, 2025. Be sure to also check out Dan's previous appearances in episodes 236, 212, 213, 200, 199, 182, 181, 173, 174, 124, and 125. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security with Emerald, to discuss his question about the similarities and differences between programmer roles within various organizations: external integrators, internal integrators, independent programming companies, and manufacturers. Dan Ferrisi can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ferrisi-55675a7/), CommercialIntegrator.com, and Securitysales.com. He encourages you to attend the Total Tech Summit (https://totaltechsummit.com) in Orlando, FL, November 10-12, 2025. Be sure to also check out Dan's previous appearances in episodes 212, 213, 200, 199, 182, 181, 173, 174, 124, and 125. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter or Bluesky, and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome back Jason Martinez, Q-SYS Ecosystem Developer, to discuss what goes into building a successful plugin for the Q-SYS ecosystem and how to ensure it meets quality requirements and is trusted by programmers. Jason Martinez can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-martinez-597660219/, via email [email protected], and on the Q-SYS Communities for Developers https://developers.qsc.com/s/. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter or Bluesky and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.

James King and Steve Greenblatt welcome Jason Martinez, Q-SYS Ecosystem Developer, to share his AV journey, transition from residential to commercial AV, and his self-taught mindset. Jason Martinez can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-martinez-597660219/, via email [email protected], and on the Q-SYS Communities for Developers https://developers.qsc.com/s/. To join the conversation or have your question answered on a future episode, join the Ask The Programmer group on LinkedIn and post a message, leave a comment, or reach out to us @AV_JamesKing or @stevegreenblatt on X/Twitter or Bluesky and be sure to include #AskTheProgrammer. The Ask The Programmer podcast can be found at @AVProgrammerPod on X/Twitter or on Bluesky as @asktheprogrammer.