Links between data regions are intelligently formed, based on up-to-date popularity statistics, including a number of times a particular one of the data regions was a target for a potential link with another one of the data regions. An owner manages a popularity index incorporating the popularity statistics, where over time, the popularity index is subjected to an aging mechanism pursuant to a decaying algorithm. An owner one of the data regions decides whether to accept the one of the intelligently formed links based on at least one of a plurality of predetermined factors. If the one of the intelligently formed links is accepted by the owner one of the data regions, a potential referrer creates one of the data regions using one of the intelligently formed links. If the one of the intelligently formed links is rejected by the owner one of the data regions, data is written.