Re: redisplay system of emacs

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    The point is that "ecosystem" describes only one aspect of the
    phenomenon of software development.  That aspect is not very
    self-conscious and therefore amoral.  Nevertheless, it is powerful and
    we should include it in our reckoning when we consider what kinds of
    actions will advance our moral goals.

We already do take account of others' tendencies (whatever their
basis) when they are relevant to our decisions.

However, using the term "ecosystem" to refer to them would shift the
way WE frame the issues, from a moral/political one to an amoral
nonjudgmental one.  That is what we should not do.

    Excuse me?  I did not mention "contradiction".  There is some kind of
    misunderstanding here.  I described a similarity of the argument used
    to justify copyleft to the kind of argument that uses the word
    "ecosystem".

You didn't use the word "contradiction" but that was implicit
in the argument you made.  You attacked, I refuted, and now you
deny the attack.


We do not want to "preserve" the software "ecosystem".  On the contrary,
our aim is to eliminate part of it.  If you want a biological analogy
for what we do, the eradication of smallpox is a good example.