Bringing Up The Past

I was reading some older entries in one of my favorite blogs on marketing Seth Godin"s Blog and came across an interesting quote:  "A significant byproduct of the connection revolution is that things that were private because they were difficult to measure will no longer be private. When devices can talk to each other, the information rarely remains private." 


We have certainly seen this to be true in recent years as politicians and business leaders have to contend with statements and video clips, often taken out of context, of their earlier deeds and misdeeds.


Facebook now lets people see messages you sent and received from years ago.  With online newspaper logs and a wealth of resources online, not only does information rarely remain private, but the past no longer stays in its place.


I wonder, however, if we are getting close to a point where someone's incongruous past will cease to be sensational or to have a significant impact.  Kind of like tattoos; if everyone has them, they no longer have the power to shock.