Ryan Matthew Pierson

A Blog of Ersatz Savvy

This election year has been insane. Accusations of sexual misconduct, corruption, and endless arguments about temperament have drowned out the issues that actually affect the lives of the citizens the President would represent. I’ve followed the campaigns closely, initially supporting Bernie Sanders...

As the years tick away, I’m finding myself in a situation where my fandom for the Star Wars universe is growing stronger. A franchise which has captured the imagination of young people for generations has tightened its grip on mine into my mid-30s.

Star Wars was always a big part of my life. I hav...

I love Star Trek. Not just the original series featuring the uniquely novel acting of one William Shatner, but the television series out of the ’80s, ’90s, and early ’00s. The old movies and new alike. Everything Star Trek has a fan in me.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m no fanatic. I’m open to other geek...

Just like our son, the excitement surrounding his birth is growing. We can’t wait for the little guy to get here. At the same time, we are glad we have the time to make sure our finances are in order.

Angela is spending a lot of time listening to podcasts like Birthful to get tips and tricks for...

Technical writers share a lot in common with their engineering and marketing counterparts. They have a passion for technology and creating new products and experiences. They also thrive in an environment that matches their unique workflow. Finding the perfect Technical Writing job is difficult.

Of...

Code review is an important part of quality software engineering, and technical writers stand to benefit greatly from attending them – especially if they are tasked with writing content for an audience of software engineers.

In a typical organization, code review is an opportunity for developers a...

When Angela and I found out that we were expecting a baby, my mind raced to all the things that would change. Late-night diaper changes and frequent pausing of our favorite television programs came to mind.

While this stuff is certainly part of our new reality, there is an abundance of other littl...

It is very possible to make a living from YouTube, but accomplishing this takes a lot more than hard work and hustle. It takes luck, networking, and a solid understanding of the realities of depending on advertising to earn a paycheck.

Over the past five years, I have worked for and with online co...

When we brought Luke home, we had everything ready for him. His crib was assembled, a changing table was stocked and ready, and we had dozens of towels and blankets at the ready. What we didn’t expect to add to the nursery was a little electronic wipe warmer. It seemed like such a waste of money, un...

Apple announced a new line of phones yesterday in the inaugural press event from the new Steve Jobs theater at Apple’s new headquarters. Unfortunately, the announcement was underwhelming and riddled with awkward design and hiccups.

Apple’s keynote was just under two hours long, and in that time we...