R0045/2026-03-29/Q002/H3¶
Statement¶
Apache's dominance depends entirely on measurement methodology. By hostname count, Apache was overwhelmingly dominant. By physical server count, IIS/Windows led. Neither was clearly "dominant" without specifying the metric.
Status¶
Supported — This is the most accurate characterization of the evidence. Apache held 63% of hostnames but Windows ran on 49.2% of physical servers. The discrepancy was explained by Apache's concentration at shared hosting providers.
Supporting Evidence¶
| Evidence | Summary |
|---|---|
| SRC01-E01 | Apache 63% by hostnames, clear dominance by this metric |
| SRC03-E01 | Windows 49.2% by physical servers, clear lead by this metric |
Contradicting Evidence¶
No evidence contradicts this synthesis — it is the most faithful representation of the data.
Reasoning¶
The Netcraft data itself demonstrated the measurement methodology problem in June 2001. Apache ran more websites because hosting providers maximized sites per server, while Windows/IIS was more common on single-purpose enterprise and self-hosted servers. Both claims of "dominance" are correct given different metrics.
Relationship to Other Hypotheses¶
H3 subsumes both H1 and H2 by recognizing that the apparent contradiction between them is a measurement artifact, not a factual dispute.