Full manual valve body, yea or nay?

Excuse my ignorance but just to fully understand. I don't want to hijack this thread
A "Forward" valve body in an Auto would be considered the "traditional" style with park towards the engine and "1" (PRND21) closest to the driver? While a "Reverse" valve body would have the highest gear closest to the driver (PRN123...)?

Would you be able to manually shift a traditional style aftermarket floor shifter as if it were a manual without causing harm to a 727?