Short interest is something that a lot of retail investors don't understand....and I would submit that it is a valuable tool in the arsenal of big players wanting to manipulate a stock.  I didn't invent the term 'shaking the tree', but its a term I understand well.  Hit and offer, hit and offer, hit and offer....take any buyers out with borrowed shares, or go naked if there aren't any availale....believeing that price sensitive shareholders will bail out if the PPS is forced  down.

I have my own rules with respect to the size of a short position...I consider around 10% of the OS to be a caution flag, up around 25% higher for me is a red light.  If RVX was short up in and around 40 million shares, I would take that as a big bet placed on the company failing.  1 or 2 million?  With a thinly traded stock its a great way to push the PPS around like disc on an air hockey table in my opinion.