Hookbill pvp fit for FW: advice needed!

First of all thanks a lot!
Just a few questions:

  1. what do you mean by “meta variants”? I believe you mean those variants between t1 and t2 but how do I choose one among the others?
  2. I see you basically recommend a armor tank (saar plus bulkheads), but don’t caldari ships have stronger shield tank? Rather than repair armor shouldn’t I go for some shield booster/extender/repairer?
  3. why are t2 variants so inconvenient? Shouldn’t they be the best there is? If the gain is little in comparison to the much higher fittong requirements then it doesn’t seem like an alternative anyone would go for.
  4. isnt there an average good orbiting distance? Cause I dunno how to tell the difference between a brawler and a kite until it’s too late. Shall I pick let’s say 3km?