Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're gonna go with a VS code extension and you're aiming for privacy, then I would at least recommend using the open source fork VS Codium. https://vscodium.com/
It is true that VS Code has some non-optional telemetry, and if VS Codium works for people, that is great. However, the telemetry of VSCode is non-personal metrics, and some of the most popular extensions are only available with VSCode, not with Codium.
I don't care, I don't want my text editor to send _any_ telemetry, _especially_ without my explicit consent.
> some of the most popular extensions are only available with VSCode
This has never been an issue for me, fortunately. The only issue is Microsoft's proprietary extensions, which I have no interest in using either. If I wanted a proprietary editor I'd use something better.