Re: PWRDWNSYS - Trivia

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Chris,

You wrote:
>2. It looks like IBM is getting with the program in V5R2! - I'm looking at
>the V5R2 infocenter and in the syntax there appears to be a new parameter -
>CONFIRM. I'm not sure what the default is, though:

Now that made me laugh.  Way back in 1994 a request was made on one of the
internal fora at IBM for IBM to add confirmation on PWRDWNSYS.  I, of course,
said that was silly because only authorised users should be able to run the
command and if they were authorised they should know what they are doing.
Where would it stop:  confirmation screens on DLTxxx commands, CLRLIB, CLRPFM,
CLRSAVF, ENDJOB, ENDJOBABN, ENDSBS, ENDSYS, etc.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I sent the following response (which I kept
all this time 'cause I thought it was funny and I put a bit of effort into it).
Lurking IBMers may recall it (Paul Allen, where are you?)  Enjoy!

What we really need is something like:

         CHGUSRPRF QSECOFR SPCVAL(*MORON)

Then when this user tries anything a prompt window can be displayed like:

                                 Command Entry                         APC400A
                                                           Request level:   2
 Previous comma .......................................................
                :         Confirmation of Dumb Thing To Do            :
   (No previous :                                                     :
                :  Dumb thing . . . . . . . : PWRDWNSYS               :
                :                                                     :
                :  Are you an absolute moron?  Y  Y=Yes, N=No         :
                :               ...........................................
                :  F12=Cancel   : Help       Absolute Moron - Help        :
                :...............:                                         :
                                : If you answer yes to this question the  :
                                : system will protect you from your own   :
                                : stupidity. If you answer no then good   :
                                : luck. You'll need it.                   :
                                :                                         : tom
 Type command, press Enter.     : F3=Exit help F10=Move to top F12=Cancel :
 ===> pwrdwnsys________________ : F11=Information assistant    F14=Print  : ___
 ______________________________ :                                         : ___
 ______________________________ :.........................................: ___
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 F3=Exit   F4=Prompt   F9=Retrieve   F10=Include detailed messages
 F11=Display full      F12=Cancel    F13=Information Assistant   F24=More keys

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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