Data shelf-life forcing better etiquette

The data never goes away. As this scholar notes, its more expensive to delete data than allow it to exist in cyberspace.

Certainly there are disadvantages to the long shelf-life of digital info:

• Status posts/tweets sent out of anger/hate/temporary stupidity/etc
• A forever living email from angry student to angry professor, likely destroying professional connections for one/both parties (or maybe not, i don't know)
• Private sexting messages from naive youths circulated everywhere

On the other hand, this finality and forever-ness of information might better regulate our behavior in this new age of openness. We're certainly learning as we go, but maybe people will be more careful in how they act behind closed doors, forcing more honesty. Imagine parents getting more involved in teaching their kids the consequences of messing up, digitally and otherwise. Or just in general people being more civil to each other for fear of the long-term consequences? I know I've deleted-rather-than-sent some angry emails which could've caused me problems if forwarded to the wrong hands...

Other ideas on the advantages of long-term accountability of your digital contributions?