If you're counting carbs, there really is no need to count fiber carbs (because humans can't digest them. If you were a cow, you'ld have to count those calories, but humans no). Subtracting sugar alcohols is a slightly different matter, because there's some evidence that some of those sugar alcohols may be digested (it looks like some people can digest them, and some people can't. Some choose to assume they do or don't, and other's choose to compromise and count half).
Plans that count total carbs are only doing so to make your math easier, not because they believe you can digest undigestible carbs. Most foods do not contain very large amounts of fiber or sugar alcohols (if they contain them at all) so slightly over- or under- estimating the carb content isn't seen as a big deal.
Anyone that tells you that you MUST count total carbs (or for that matter net carbs), is being anal about the math. You don't have to be anal about the math to succeed. A few carbs under or over counted is not going to make or break your weight loss.
I chose a low-carb exchange plan, so while I don't count carbs or calories directly, the exchange plan does it for me (because every food within each exchange group contains approximately the same number of carbs and calories).
To create my plan, I slightly modified one of the high-protein plans I found on the hillbilly housewife website (the high-protein plans are moderately low-carb).
http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/foodplans.htm
My current modification (I've tried several variations) is to use the 1800 calorie high-protein plan, but to use the 4 bread exchanges as floating exchanges (meaning I don't have to spend them on bread exchanges, but on any combination of bread, dairy, protein, & fruit).
If I want to go a little lower carb for a day or two (for example when I'm retaining water and want to be rid of it quickly) I will spend all of my bread exchanges on protein, and sometimes even my fruit (usually I keep at least two servings of fruit though, but I'll spend them on lower carb fruits like berries).
The important thing to remember is that there is no magic carb or calorie level. You just find a range that works best for you, by experimenting. Built-in experimentation is a strength of both Atkins and South Beach. I have to give kudos to both plans for teaching me the value of "tweaking."
I needed the added element of portion/calorie control because I could and did eat enough of the unlimited foods to stall my weight loss. Both plans rely on learning not to overeat by learning to recognize hunger and satiety. I think my hunger and satiety detectors are broken from years of yoyo dieting (or maybe I was born without them). All I know is that I'm very prone to feeling hungry, even when I've had enough food. So for me, the exchange plan tells me when I've had enough.
A lot of people though don't need a calorie control element as long as they keep carbs below a certain level. I think the least restrictive plan that works for you makes the most sense.
I don't find exchange plans very restrictive though because I've been doing exchange plans so long (since 1972) it's almost automatic. Slightly easier and faster than calorie counting (at least in the long run).