For your naked short selling question (which wasn't a typical newbie question) I found this, let's see if it answers it for you:
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showt...t=naked+short+sales+stock+delivery#post528198
> The Commission also adopted uniform locate and delivery requirements for
certain securities to safeguard against naked short selling. The uniform
locate requirements, applicable to all securities across all markets, will
prohibit Broker/dealers from executing short sales for their own accounts or
the accounts of other persons unless they can document that: (a) they have
borrowed the stock or entered into an arrangement to borrow the stock or (b)
they have reasonable grounds to believe they can borrow the security in
order to make delivery on the delivery date. Broker-dealers would need to
document the steps taken to locate stock prior to effecting a short sale,
even if the seller> '> s position will be closed out the same day. The
proposal contains an exemption for bona fide market making (as opposed to
speculative activity) that is consistent with the market maker> '> s past
trading patterns.
>
> The Commission also approved uniform delivery requirements based upon
thresholds currently contained in NASD Rule 11830. The rule establishes
that delivery is required for short sales of all securities with 10,000
shares or more of > "> failed to delivers> "> if such failures account for
0.5% of outstanding shares. Once the thresholds are met, broker/dealers
would be required to deliver within ten days of settlement (or 13 days
total). A failure to deliver within that period would result in a ban on
executing short sales in that security by that broker-dealer absent a prior
agreement to borrow. There is no market maker exemption from the delivery
requirement.