Your assessment is absolutely correct. My experience is that the...

Your assessment is absolutely correct. My experience is that the big short "burn" mostly turns out to be more underwhelming than predictions allude to. Hopefully I am wrong this time.

My point is that if we had a traditional buy/sell stack then it would be much harder for them to game things. If the queue is empty to begin with, they can take positions on both sides of the queue and create false momentum by selling back and forth amongst themselves. They can slow things down and control the exit they need to make, thus minimising the upside pain they have to feel.

Also, there is duplicity in that some owners are lending stock to the shorters. They may not want that loan position to change just yet so may be prepared to alter rates or cover their short lenders for a small period of time, knowing full well that the stock will achieve its true value over time. If you think full value will be realised in three years and the share will get there regardless then you may want the interest off the shorts ongoing until the final up rather than riding the moves and burning your cash cow now. The ideal position for a stock lender is possibly a short who is now "stuck" in for long haul paying interest who will eventually pay the capital back at the much higher price anyway.