From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: redisplay system of emacs Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:36 -0500 Message-ID: References: <4B633B7C.8030700@gmx.de> <873a1nvlki.fsf@gmail.com> Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15 X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1264941719 20342 80.91.229.12 (31 Jan 2010 12:41:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:41:59 +0000 (UTC) Cc: grishka@gmx.de, emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Paul R Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Jan 31 13:41:51 2010 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1NbZ7e-0003dC-Nh for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:41:51 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:35571 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1NbZ7e-00065G-1n for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:50 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1NbZ7S-000605-V6 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:38 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=47499 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1NbZ7S-0005zh-Iw for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:38 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1NbZ7R-00025I-7x for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:38 -0500 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([140.186.70.10]:59616) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1NbZ7R-000259-1I for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:37 -0500 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1NbZ7Q-0004E4-MP; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:36 -0500 In-reply-to: <873a1nvlki.fsf@gmail.com> (message from Paul R on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:11:57 +0100) X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6 (newer, 3) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:120740 Archived-At: I don't think the word ecosystem "(...) implies the absence of intention and ethics", as stated in this page. It does not implie the presence of them either. The term implies a stance in which intention and ethics do not enter. Whoever takes that stance probably has some idea of ethics too, but that stance does not treat it as pertinent. That's the problem in the term. I think they are independant concepts, Treating them as independent is a step on the wrong path. The first question we should ask about a program is "Is this program ethical?" For instance, is it free software? If it is not free, it's unethical. Can you suggest an alternative word that expresses this simple, yet fundamental, concept ? I think it's a secondary issue. The reason software should be free is because users deserve freedom. Whether programs depend on each other is merely a technical issue. At most it affects the rate of some development, but it doesn't play a role in the more basic question of whether the development good or evil. Also, it is probably just cultural, but around me the word 'ecosystem' connotes very respected ideas, of equilibrium, sustainability, fairness. The concept of fairness plays no role in the study of ecosystems. We don't ask whether it is fair for an owl to eat a mouse, or for a mouse to eat a plant. We just note that these interactions are part of the system. Real ecosystems are often not in equilibrium. The populations of some species can vary widely from year to year. Some ecosystems cannot continue without big changes.