It might be irrelevant to you - but it isn't to me. I built my ti winter bike for under $300 - granted I got lucky. Apologies if it's coming across as snobbery, but to me fenders are a second choice when there are better solutions available. If others like them, great...but it can be useful to hear other perspectives. Mine is that fenders offer me minimal advantage and I've explained what I view as negatives. And I get to lock my bike indoors on a large rack...unfortunately the fender prevents me from putting my front wheel over the rack - which means I have to lock an awkward way, or just the wheel (unless I get lucky and get an end position). So yes - it's a disadvantage to me.

I'm not insulting other people's views on them, so it would be nice not to be insulted for mine. We all ride in different places and with different needs - mine make fenders inferior to other options.