Yep, and in theory that's how it's suppose to work. In actuality more crap gets in and ends up staying there. You would have to hermetically seal everything to keep out dust and moisture, then they wouldn't be able to compress or expand. That's why there's holes in them. Look at modern dirt bikes which see all kinds of use. "Gators" dust boots and other means have been tried over the years to protect the forks and shock shafts from rocks and debris, but eventually they've all gone back to open, uncovered. Some do have a kind of deflector in front of the fork tube, but they are for the most part open. For one thing, it's easier to inspect and clean them. Another reason is because once moisture and dirt get in, they stay in. The seals and hardened shafts on modern dampers are plenty strong enough to stand up to dust, water and the occasional ding hit from a rock.