Re: redisplay system of emacs

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    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.