Concerns Re UNIX Adventure Shell

[ddern at BBNCCH.ARPA]

From:  Daniel Dern <ddern at BBNCCH.ARPA>

This is in regard to the UNIX-like Adventure shell-script (or is it ad
Adventure-like UNIX shell-script) sent around by Doug Gwyn some months ago.

Personally, I think it's a nifty idea, both conceptually and to have and play.
In failing to get it running, I certainly learned a lot about what I didn't
know about C, UNIX and our local UNIX implementation.

(A local wizard did turn the trick, btw.)

(AT&T is a trademark of UNIX, which runs Bell Labs as a background process, or
something like that.)

HOWEVER...

The game contains a number of things which might be considered "anti-social"
when used by the unwary.

Specifically:

1) It will "steal" files.  (It tucks them away in a sub-directory it makes.)

2) You can move/rename files.

The problems with this are:

1) When you leave, you may not realize that files have been snarfed.

2) You may not be able to restore them to their proper places, names.

3) If you "lose" two files by the same name (from different sub-directories),
I believe that the first one will be overwritten, and die the true death.

This is of course the usual challenge that UNIX users face every day.  But
we're prepared for it, and looking out for it. (Usually.)  For  the non-tech
users, such as many support staff (and some management?), they may be in for
rude surprises -- and possible trouble.  Somehow I don't think that "Oops, the
game must have eaten it" won't be acceptable when some important, time-critical
project calls for a file, and our unsuspecting game-player can't find it
where it's expected.  And either it takes a long time to figure out where it
went, or maybe it can't be retrieved.  Important work lost; and bye-bye job.
I.e., people's jobs may be involved here.

I'm not saying, squelch the game.

I am recommending that the game be fool-proofed.  Either give it a separate
real or simulated file structure to explore, a la "learn", or set up file
stealing and renaming as an internal fake -- some file, variable, grep, etc.
arrangement that doesn't really touch your files or file structure.   I think
this can be done with remarkably few additions, maybe one or two variables and
files and some dozen lines of shellscript.

"With great responsibility comes great power." [stan lee]

'nuff said.

daniel p. dern
ddern at bbn.arpa