The recent European Union ruling that granted citizens the “right to be forgotten” from Google’s search engine surprised me when it was announced three or four days ago. I thought the power of the web assured that everything that was ever recorded would be eternally available to everyone — nothing redacted, no edits or omissions, open access forever and ever. And then suddenly the European Union says no — people have a right to bury certain skeletons and keep them buried, and that the solace which may or may not result from a certain sliver of their personal history being forgotten is to be respected. Presumably this new consideration doesn’t apply to sexual predators or war criminals on the lam, but otherwise there’s something compassionate about declaring that people are entitled to be left alone about past mistakes and embarassments. We all suppress unpleasant memories but who doesn’t have an episode or two they’d like to erase from the public record?