no offense taken at all.
I see what you are getting at vis a vis less wear on the 11t, but it seems to me that it does this just as much on my mtn bike even when I replaced chain and cassette the previous summer, which would seem to negate that theory. Dougs description really is the most accurate, but as you say, it may a combo of all the various things.
I really brought this up because the discussion of doubles made me think that the chances are much more that people would be riding for longer periods of time in the 12 or 11t cogs in the smaller chainring of a double. You know, to avoid going up to the larger chainring and having to downshift a bunch of gears, and from what I perceive as more chain/teeth resistance going on whilst on a 11t cog, this could mean faster chain wear (but I could be wrong here, Im just going with my gut feeling).
Just my mechanically sympatheticness side coming out.