I didn't realize (or think to realize) that budget might be a factor. When I was using bivies, there were no all-mesh bivies. One problem with a bivy is that, in warm weather, they get really hot and uncomfortable, and you sweat generously. I finally found a bivy that had a waterproof-breathable panel backed by mesh, so I could open it up from head to waist; sadly, it's no longer made. (It also weighed two pounds.)

However, before I found that, I found a mesh mosquito net like those you hang over a cot. I rigged it to hang under my 8x10 (10x12? I forget) tarp. There wasn't any door (but a zipper and some sewing skill would fix that), so I just lifted a corner or edge to get in, then dropped it down; I tucked the excess under the ground cloth, and had a fairly bug-proof shelter. BackCountryGear still sell the nets, in the $35-50 price range.

I don't think you were getting a lot of dislike, per se, for bivies. I think what you were getting is that they work, but there are more efficient solutions. I know that was my experience: I was never dissatisfied with the performance or weight of my tarp and bivy combo; I simply took advantage of an improvement when one became available.