I don't think others are misunderstanding that the
Post# of 72440
If FINRA reports a certain number of sales as short sales, we have to interpret them as stock that was sold short. That's what a short sale is, period.
A sale that is short, or a sale that is long, carries with it NO expectation of duration.
You are utterly misinterpreting these words. If that is what has been bothering you all this, time, then you should rest assured that a "short sale" does not have anything to do with duration of holding before the trade is closed. And Alan has made no claim that every one of those short sales remains as an open position.