When other people say they 'burn the boats,' I know it's metaphorical. They're doing some mildly difficult thing and calling it good.
You straight up nuked your online life and tools, and while I thought you were perhaps overreacting, I couldn't help but admire your dedication.
I'm a man of a faith, and I know what it feels like to swim against the stream because of what you believe. I see a lot of parallels here, and I am here for it.
You see, I suspect you may be right, and I might be missing out if I don't pay attention to your crusade (for that's what this is, facing off against the very biggest companies in the world).
You've gone from 'gadfly' to visionary, still blazing a trail.
But where you felt destructive before, you now sound like the sane one.
I paid for your Substack because I believe in you, and I believe you can help me make my life better.
(And because you're my friend, heh.)
* I like your idea of keeping your cartoon profile pic. I have a generic white-bread name and have two personas to set myself apart from all the other people with my name. I have a novel writing name, and I have a professional name I innovated when I was onboarded at Big Blue. I haven't been hiding my name per se, I've been trying to distinguish myself. But I can see how establishing discreet, distinct online personas can be useful.
I will reply to this properly later this week good sir, I appreciate the heart you put into things and that you support the creators you like. It's super cool!
Nice to see you back communicating with the world at large, so to speak. I vote for an actual picture and last name. IMO, I think cartoon characters are outdated. If you're serious about building a business, your full name lets potential customers confirm it's the right Luke.
Cheers for your thoughts, I don't agree that they are outdated.. Actually it's more of a new concept tbh and I only see the need for privacy increasing thanks to global changes to internet freedmoms.
This article helped to reinforce the Digital Privacy & Security Framework that I developed for myself back in the year 2020 when the COVID-19 Pandemic gave me an abundance of mind space to think about a hard "Reset" button on my Digital Life.
Now, without my real name and face printed all over the public internet, I feel a lot safer and confident to start using the internet again, and also in a very different way than how I used to.
Interesting story. It feels like being reborn from your own ashes. “Phoenix”would fit better as a “stage name”, and a phoenix image says a lot more than a cartoon :). But that’s not the point.
What I mean, is that no matter the reason behind it, or the final goal, (because if you’re putting time and energy into something, there has to be one), it’s important that it makes sense to you.
That you feel the change is for the better, not just a shift without direction. The timing probably is not accidental either. It lines up with the new year, with that moment when you decide to reset things and move forward differently.
Well thank you for reading and I think that feels right too.
You know honestly I spent the last year doing a lot of work on myself with help from specialists and I reached the conclusion I don’t need a major goal in my life.
I live like a rebel, an artist and think like an engineer. I just want to speak my mind, take on the system of clones and find my crew while building some cool tools.
Thanks for reading and for the insightful and actually deep comment!
Thank you, Luke, for your answer ! Just a few hours after joining this platform, with zero experience in newsletters, every reply, reaction, emoji feels like a high-five from the universe saying : “you exist and your weird thoughts matter”. :)
You said you live like a rebel and an artist, maybe dreaming up ideas that don’t exist yet, but you think like an engineer: logical, precise, always calculating outcomes before taking a step.
I live as an engineer, a scientist by trade through my profession, but inside I think like an artist, creative, questioning, always looking for patterns where the rules don’t reach, for patterns where none seem to exist.
It’s funny, really, how differently we live and how we think, yet carry the same mix of chaos and calculation in our minds. Life has a strange way of balancing contrasts, and even in this very example, our different paths lead to the same conclusions.
Not technically an engineer, but my work makes me act pretty engineer-like! Your encouragement makes me want to let my imagination run wild and keep sharing. Thank you …
A few years back someone in LA purchased something from my Etsy store and said they were on their way to pick it up. I was like WTF dude! I told them we ship only. They knew this, but they'd already lifted my address from the internet. Thankfully, I had security at the gate, if they'd actually shown up... it's terrifying how quickly people can piece together your info if they're motivated enough. I do audits often, but did you also see the move Google made? They are making it harder to do.
Oh man that is wild isn't it? Crazy enough, I sold so much stuff of fb marketplace back in the day and ebay and various things and met people out front of my house lol.
I guess it just feels like different times to me now or perhaps I have changed!
No I did not see that from Google but I am hardly surprised....
ohh redact looks interesting - I've been thinking about deleting Facebook posts for a while, but I also know it will take me ages, so I have been putting it off....always appreciate your updates and tools
Totally feel you. I have had this condrum myself , and frankly being in digital for 20+ years and not the most perfect yet awesome private life it's a weird bridge to cross. Carl Jung resonated when he said around our 40s we take off our mask and become our true selves. I for the longest refused too much thought leadership, and stayed out of the digital footprint I was laying for brands and influencers too. Killer career , and I still not sure if I'm making the right decisions not sand boxing and going anon.
I too scaled back the grind, realized my wife who left as I needed to get my marbles together 10 years ago. She valued me on my laptop like it was the ATM..not the guy behind the laptop and my "wait I never planned or desired to be an SEO/digital strategist as my identity and everything I do. If it was corporate life with the perqs , new iPhones I was tethered to, city hopping not much time to enjoy except the moments I provided for my family. It was consulting as much as I love the challenge of strategy, staying sharp across multiple industries. I really began to not like being a punching bag for inept teams, tempromental clevel leaders who can't look at the jerk in the mirror.
As the kids left to college, the wife bounced with her dog who really liked me more, poor guy... and the heartbreak of not seeing my youngest everyday..for real, not even marriage counseling hun, ugh?
I got the freedom to take the mask off. And yeah like you it kicked me in the pocket book to not be plugged in , and there's no way i could manage two profiles , two digital of everything, I can barely stick to managing one . Its just adding to the time loss, that sucks life asset is time. Its invaluable. I guess dirty laundry or clean slate whatever. Being me, even though tonight I'll think I should write under a pen name. I guess I want a legacy that's real. Really Gabe., not the social lubricator wearing a mask so I can have a great portfolio and a great wife who forgot about the vows when I needed to find myself in a moment of truth...as if she rather I wear the mask.
The profile pic depends on the platform. You can pretty much go with anything on X but I’ve observed that on LinkedIn you need a realistic pic. I follow some really cool people who post neat stuff but their pics are cartoonish and they get so little engagement there.
Yeah I think everyone lines is gonna be different u know?
The important thing is doing the audit and doing it intentionally I think.
Because people crave human connection but I don’t think the answer is to share rawly on socials anymore as it’s usually done for profit or some weird reason and also the times have changed and its riskier!
When other people say they 'burn the boats,' I know it's metaphorical. They're doing some mildly difficult thing and calling it good.
You straight up nuked your online life and tools, and while I thought you were perhaps overreacting, I couldn't help but admire your dedication.
I'm a man of a faith, and I know what it feels like to swim against the stream because of what you believe. I see a lot of parallels here, and I am here for it.
You see, I suspect you may be right, and I might be missing out if I don't pay attention to your crusade (for that's what this is, facing off against the very biggest companies in the world).
You've gone from 'gadfly' to visionary, still blazing a trail.
But where you felt destructive before, you now sound like the sane one.
I paid for your Substack because I believe in you, and I believe you can help me make my life better.
(And because you're my friend, heh.)
* I like your idea of keeping your cartoon profile pic. I have a generic white-bread name and have two personas to set myself apart from all the other people with my name. I have a novel writing name, and I have a professional name I innovated when I was onboarded at Big Blue. I haven't been hiding my name per se, I've been trying to distinguish myself. But I can see how establishing discreet, distinct online personas can be useful.
I will reply to this properly later this week good sir, I appreciate the heart you put into things and that you support the creators you like. It's super cool!
Nice to see you back communicating with the world at large, so to speak. I vote for an actual picture and last name. IMO, I think cartoon characters are outdated. If you're serious about building a business, your full name lets potential customers confirm it's the right Luke.
Cheers for your thoughts, I don't agree that they are outdated.. Actually it's more of a new concept tbh and I only see the need for privacy increasing thanks to global changes to internet freedmoms.
This article helped to reinforce the Digital Privacy & Security Framework that I developed for myself back in the year 2020 when the COVID-19 Pandemic gave me an abundance of mind space to think about a hard "Reset" button on my Digital Life.
Now, without my real name and face printed all over the public internet, I feel a lot safer and confident to start using the internet again, and also in a very different way than how I used to.
good for u!! love to see others who care about this
It's nice to stumble upon your writing again.
Appreciate you sliding over here!
Interesting story. It feels like being reborn from your own ashes. “Phoenix”would fit better as a “stage name”, and a phoenix image says a lot more than a cartoon :). But that’s not the point.
What I mean, is that no matter the reason behind it, or the final goal, (because if you’re putting time and energy into something, there has to be one), it’s important that it makes sense to you.
That you feel the change is for the better, not just a shift without direction. The timing probably is not accidental either. It lines up with the new year, with that moment when you decide to reset things and move forward differently.
Well thank you for reading and I think that feels right too.
You know honestly I spent the last year doing a lot of work on myself with help from specialists and I reached the conclusion I don’t need a major goal in my life.
I live like a rebel, an artist and think like an engineer. I just want to speak my mind, take on the system of clones and find my crew while building some cool tools.
Thanks for reading and for the insightful and actually deep comment!
Isn’t it great there’s less AI here on substack.
Thank you, Luke, for your answer ! Just a few hours after joining this platform, with zero experience in newsletters, every reply, reaction, emoji feels like a high-five from the universe saying : “you exist and your weird thoughts matter”. :)
You said you live like a rebel and an artist, maybe dreaming up ideas that don’t exist yet, but you think like an engineer: logical, precise, always calculating outcomes before taking a step.
I live as an engineer, a scientist by trade through my profession, but inside I think like an artist, creative, questioning, always looking for patterns where the rules don’t reach, for patterns where none seem to exist.
It’s funny, really, how differently we live and how we think, yet carry the same mix of chaos and calculation in our minds. Life has a strange way of balancing contrasts, and even in this very example, our different paths lead to the same conclusions.
Ah man isn’t it nice to get a little high five from the universe?
Yeah its a weird combo and im trying to come to grips with it.
I love freedom and just obsessing and following my curiosity but I don’t like having a road map for my life.
So it’s a wierd combo.
I love following engineers! Smart minds with real thoughts and I can tell u have a lot to share.
I love how deep your comments are.
Not technically an engineer, but my work makes me act pretty engineer-like! Your encouragement makes me want to let my imagination run wild and keep sharing. Thank you …
Most welcome! Hope u do let yourself run a lil wild hehe
A few years back someone in LA purchased something from my Etsy store and said they were on their way to pick it up. I was like WTF dude! I told them we ship only. They knew this, but they'd already lifted my address from the internet. Thankfully, I had security at the gate, if they'd actually shown up... it's terrifying how quickly people can piece together your info if they're motivated enough. I do audits often, but did you also see the move Google made? They are making it harder to do.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/15/googles-dark-web-report-feature-will-no-longer-be-available-starting-in-february/
What's up, Luke?
Happy Wednesday!
Hiya Neela Happy Wednesday whats up?
Oh man that is wild isn't it? Crazy enough, I sold so much stuff of fb marketplace back in the day and ebay and various things and met people out front of my house lol.
I guess it just feels like different times to me now or perhaps I have changed!
No I did not see that from Google but I am hardly surprised....
I avoid Google at all costs tbh...
Right?? I think it's both - times have changed, AND we have!
I used to do the same thing, zero hesitation. Now I'm like, do I really want strangers knowing where I live? 😅
I’m telling yah. I got paranoid with age.
Google is getting creepy af. Good call avoiding them.
lol I am gonna settle on both too.
I do think we've changed and probably gotten more mature and a little bit more aware of how wild this world is....
BUT I'll also say I think society has changed for the worse, and I have 0 faith in the average person.
N ya, I scraped all google accounts and literally don't use it all for anyhing.
Only thing left is the YouTube with 0 videos just in case I decided to give that a run again one day.
Good for you Luke.
And yup... I am ending the year on a cynical note.
ohh redact looks interesting - I've been thinking about deleting Facebook posts for a while, but I also know it will take me ages, so I have been putting it off....always appreciate your updates and tools
It's an elite tool! Bit of a cost but very much worth it tbh; can't speak more highly of it.
The free version will do what I need :) I want to get rid of old stuff. I don't post/comment enough to need to wipe it every 30 days 😂
Nice article Luke … you’ve given it a lot of thought
I think it’s a balance … sharing personality vs personal life
Ya for sure, I think it’s okay that everyone has a unique approach and line for sure. Mine has gone from one extreme to the other lol…
Maybe I’ll land in the middle eventually?
Totally feel you. I have had this condrum myself , and frankly being in digital for 20+ years and not the most perfect yet awesome private life it's a weird bridge to cross. Carl Jung resonated when he said around our 40s we take off our mask and become our true selves. I for the longest refused too much thought leadership, and stayed out of the digital footprint I was laying for brands and influencers too. Killer career , and I still not sure if I'm making the right decisions not sand boxing and going anon.
I too scaled back the grind, realized my wife who left as I needed to get my marbles together 10 years ago. She valued me on my laptop like it was the ATM..not the guy behind the laptop and my "wait I never planned or desired to be an SEO/digital strategist as my identity and everything I do. If it was corporate life with the perqs , new iPhones I was tethered to, city hopping not much time to enjoy except the moments I provided for my family. It was consulting as much as I love the challenge of strategy, staying sharp across multiple industries. I really began to not like being a punching bag for inept teams, tempromental clevel leaders who can't look at the jerk in the mirror.
As the kids left to college, the wife bounced with her dog who really liked me more, poor guy... and the heartbreak of not seeing my youngest everyday..for real, not even marriage counseling hun, ugh?
I got the freedom to take the mask off. And yeah like you it kicked me in the pocket book to not be plugged in , and there's no way i could manage two profiles , two digital of everything, I can barely stick to managing one . Its just adding to the time loss, that sucks life asset is time. Its invaluable. I guess dirty laundry or clean slate whatever. Being me, even though tonight I'll think I should write under a pen name. I guess I want a legacy that's real. Really Gabe., not the social lubricator wearing a mask so I can have a great portfolio and a great wife who forgot about the vows when I needed to find myself in a moment of truth...as if she rather I wear the mask.
The profile pic depends on the platform. You can pretty much go with anything on X but I’ve observed that on LinkedIn you need a realistic pic. I follow some really cool people who post neat stuff but their pics are cartoonish and they get so little engagement there.
A cartoon for an avatar is fine by me. "Ghostmode Luke" or "Unlisted Luke" would likely be more effective as a brand name than bare "Luke".
fun idea but nah, I like just simply luke.
This is really timely.
As I'm incorporating more visible creativity in my work, I’m realizing I might blur the line between personal and professional.
What’s important to share because it informs and shapes the work…
versus my ego yearning for a stroke?
I guess there’s only one way to find out…
Yeah I think everyone lines is gonna be different u know?
The important thing is doing the audit and doing it intentionally I think.
Because people crave human connection but I don’t think the answer is to share rawly on socials anymore as it’s usually done for profit or some weird reason and also the times have changed and its riskier!
Agreed.
I do think we all crave connection.
AI makes us want it more.
We don’t trust what we see because we don’t know what’s real.
Creating spaces and experiences that scratch that itch?
Gold.
And I’m “in” for that.