You are wrong, the short list is the total amount of shorts plus the total amount of actual sells. The list consists of all sells which includes actual short sales. Then in approximately three days when shares are settled, actual sells are removed from the list and only short shares are left. When you short a stock, the market doesn't know the difference between a short sale and a regular sell until settlement day.
The reason you cannot get an actual up-to-date total short count list on any stock is due to the three day delay in settlement and the bookwork that follows. Each stock's short position is publicized every two weeks with a delay built in so bookwork can get current.
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