[ubuntu-uk] Does a hard shutdown actually damage anything?

[Rowan Berkeley]

Hi,

Once again I lost my shutdown function; not only did shutdown vanish
from my main menu, but when I added the Session Indicator Applet to the
panel, the shutdown option on this did not work either; only the user
switcher option worked. Therefore, I had to shutdown by pressing and
holding the power button. This being the second time this has happened,
I should like to know, what are the dangers of doing a hard shutdown?

Thanks,
Rowan