Earlier this week, I brought you the story of a good friend who gave me his original Xbox without wiping its contents. From the data, I was able to piece together a sentimental portrait of my friend as he and his wife started their new lives together.
If there was an irony there, it's that only in my hands could such information become personally revealing. A stranger buying the Xbox off Craigslist or inheriting the data as a used GameStop purchase would not understand the significance behind of any of the gamesaves.
However, it doesn't take a New Yorker profile writer to understand the significance of a picture of someone taking a ripping bong hit, left on a used 3DS. This chuckleworthy tale from the U.K. should reinforce the modern necessity of wiping all gaming devices of their data before you give them up for sale. And if you buy a used device from a retail outlet and come across this sort of thing, definitely complain about it. It's supposedly store policy to wipe the devices, and if they don't, they'll usually give you store credit or a partial refund.
Always Clear Your Data! [Gaming Unity]