Definitely agree with that. I do that with my winter beard, too.
As for going completely bald–I think it depends on the shape of your head. Some people look good, others look better then they let there be at least some short hair left over.
I agree not to leave it short/bald in the front and long in the back, unless you want to “make a statement.” In my opinion, it tends to look trashy.
All this said, a pic would be nice. You can tell a lot more about what “do” would look good on a person if you can actually see their head and hair.