Okay, I just want to clear one thing up. 

Fact: Poet announces special meeting on Jan 12 with record date set for Jan 19.

Question 1: Is this what everyone refers to as the "rush to RS"? Is it because of this short time window that everyone thinks this is being rushed? Is a one week window standard practice? 

BCD you bring up some really good points I've been wondering myself. However, I am not entirely in the camp of calling this "rushed". Management has a plan and they are executing that plan. 

The RS is a tool to access more capital for what they expect in the furture. If we take it for what it is, POET stated that the uplist is to:

"... to respond quickly to growth opportunities that we expect to encounter over the next several years" (from the IC)

and with POET going into full production by the end of the year...

"VR: By the end of the year, we will be in mass production" (Q&A Blog)

The simplist answer to me is that management feels this is the most opportune time to uplist if they want to grow and mature into a industry leader.