I can see scenarios where you save on disk file size, but is Poser actually going to use less memory by "instancing" a single external .obj - or are those 10 telephone poles going to use the same memory either way? I've never cared for Poser's way of scattering files to hell and gone for a single item so I usually prefer every bit of consolidation. It make sense that some common geometry like the (human) figure .objs should be external because they're used by many characters. OTOH, props are nearly always unique. As long as I can access it the geometry if I need to, I'm happier with a single file.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken