[clogston]

There's nothing at all dumb about this question! And the answer is most definitely "yes."

As a shareholder you should have an understanding of how many shares are authorized (i.e., how many units of measure the company has been divided in to) and how many of those shares are issued (i.e., how many units of measure have been given out and are no longer up for grabs).

The reason it's done this way and not via simple percentage (which I agree is WAY easier to understand) is a matter of practicality; as new shareholders come on board it would be prohibitively difficult to go back to all existing shareholders and modify their percentage.