Quote - > Quote - it is simply a hypothesis......are welcome to disprove it with better evidence. 

 

Well, since you admit it's a mere hypothesys, let me bring a focus on  what hypothesis really is:  HYPOTHESIS implies insufficient evidence to provide more than a tentative explanation. Reference material can be found at http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/hypothesis 

You edited out a slightly important bit... "with supporting evidence" This means that it is not just a hypothesis any more. Just because you wish it to not be so, does not make it suddenly not so, try as you might. ;) Here, let me help you; It is a very simple logical chain: === If someone posts an image using a given figure to a gallery, the odds that this 'someone' is using that figure is perfect. The more images that are posted to a gallery of a figure, the more usage a figure provably has. This paragraph is known as "Quod Erat Demonstrandum", if that helps any. === So, what part of this continues to fail for you? You claim it is insufficient, but then you fail to mention how you think it is insufficient. Mere assertion does not disprove, no matter how loud the assertion may be. Add other galleries? Sure - but this would mean insuring no conflict of interest by site owners. Renderosity is about as neutral as it gets, and has enough volume to reduce to negligibility any anomalies and outliers. Sure, there could be a vast hidden army of people using Apollo Maximus that never posts to the Rendo gallery, but this doesn't seem very likely. You could claim that it is being used in specialized galleries, such as in erotica-based ones more than the generalized ones. That said, I'm willing to wager that both figures are used heavily in that arena, and many others... and that the proportions are very likely to mirror what we've found here at RO's galleries. The best measurement, naturally, would be actual unique downloads, correlated between free and bought. Since there is no reliable source of these, we use what we can prove, in a way that cannot be hidden or made incomprehensible (in most cases) to the average reader. Also, a clue you may be interested in: No one is "obligated" to "defend" anything. This is merely discussion of opinion. Why you feel the need to be so emotionally involved (apparently)? I dunno. /P