Ok, but even if it's about .NET Core; As far as I can tell the creation of .NET Core was a business decision and not because MS suddenly wanted to create a better product.

More then 50% of the VM's in Azure run Linux and not Windows. On AWS and GCP the percentage VM's running non-Windows OS'es is probably even higher. That's a realistic threat to the continued existence of .NET if .NET only runs on Windows.

Aside from the cost of licensing Windows which makes small-sized non-Windows VMs cheaper, there's been a strong pro-Linux bias in academia for a long time that nobody likes to talk about.

It’s a preference, not a bias

The choice is open, free vs closed, stifling, costly, dark-patterns.

I don't think that's bias.

I just moved to openSUSE.

It's really nice not having advertisements in my start menu.

> there's been a strong pro-Linux bias in academia for a long time that nobody likes to talk about.

Who doesn't like to talk about it? It's so much easier to integrate components on Linux over windows. Why would anyone willingly use windows for data analysis?

Everything every public company does is a business decision

Isn't wanting to make a better product a business decision?

M$ only improved their product because they want to make more money! Unlike me, who works for free.