Courtney,
Sorry if I wasn't clear there, but I don't think those two statements conflict. Happy to discuss, though. There was no standard for wheel to hook distance - I remember going through the various specs with the arresting gear design team.
A number of US naval aircraft have had challenges with hook location, especially single engined types where you can only put the hook underneath the fuselage as far aft as the structure will allow. (The F-8 was a good example).
Wire trampling and whipping was also well known to the F-35 design team, which resulted in early studies into wire/tailplane clearances as well as influencing choice of tyre.
There is definitely an issue with the hook, and that issue showed up in testing. That's what testing is for. The hook damper changes were there to stop the excessive bouncing found in early tests. Yes, it will increase the force between the hook and the deck - but like everything else in engineering, there will be a tradeoff and the test team will find the best point for that.
The F-35 programme is taking place in an open reporting environment, which allows anyone to state their opinions. That's a good thing. So are facts.
Best Regards as ever
Engines