I agree with your points on the SMPL but that's a sweeping generalization that has no merit whatsoever. I have nothing but clone RDA's and RTA's that have solid protruding pins that have never shorted.
Perhaps I could have worded it differently to be more accurate. In my experience, my counterfeit RDA's are the only ones with flush or recessed positive pins. Also, the only RDA I own which has a very loose adjustable positive pin is also a counterfeit.
I'm not trying to put down counterfeit or cloned RDA's but just pointing out that in my own experience, not something I read on a forum or review but actually experienced, those are the only way I've had any issue with shorting the smpl.
A true hybrid is a mod that is designed with a paired atomizer. One that is actually the top cap, so to speak. I'm not sure why reducing the versatility of a mod is a good thing or how simply having a threaded 510 built into a mod is a "dirty" solution. It's simply a different type of connection and seems far more efficient than a separate disc that needs to be screwed onto a tube as a top. That type of connection is actually a compromise, if a button cannot be accessed except through the top or so the mod can be made shorter.