What do Microsoft storage heavies say when the suits let them off leash? Microsoft engineers at the ubergeek Usenix FAST 08 conference last month talked about Microsoft's storage intentions to a crowd of PhDs - and a stray storage blogger. Soft sell Understand that Microsoft was recruiting. So was Google, IBM, NetApp, Seagate, Sun, HP, Yahoo and niche companies like Cleversafe and Marvell. That is real competition. Interesting work is the big motivator for these guys, not money or security. Selling them isn't easy. Avoiding boredom is key. Touch lightly on many topics so listeners hear something that interests them. The people Speakers were from Microsoft Research and product development. In off-line conversations the 'softies impressed. Despite all the problems...