In reply to TobyA:
My point is quite the opposite to an "each for himself" attitude, it's the importance of the climbing team. After a bit you know that each of you is going to do things appropriately, there is no need to check, it's certain. If either has a doubt then you also know he'll say something and a discussion will resolve the problem - like "should we really be here?" when things are getting risky. Checking on the other one seems to be the proof of an individualistic attitude, two individuals climbing together as opposed to a team in harmony. You don't have to be on the same wavelength philosophically or politically (within reason) but in tune for climbing. It's an odd phenomenon and has it's implications if you care to dwell on it a bit.
As for this absurd debate, no one has ever died because they used the "wrong" knot, either indoors or out, they may have died because they tied any knot wrong though, which is a completely different matter. Probably the figure of eight, which is a good knot for many purposes, leads to less problems (if it does, I'm don't believe anyone has shown any proof of this) because it's a bit longer and more fiddly to tie so a beginner, or someone stoned, pissed on in a depressive state (for example) would be more likely to notice his error and start again. On the other hand
a bowline with two, or more for the hyper-cautious, half turns is absolutely safe, of that there is no doubt. It's a fact, not an opinion.
What people mean by "stoppers" I don't know as I can't see how a stop knot would be of use for tying on, even with a harness.
Finally for the "buddy" business, frankly if you need checking for the simplest bit of climbing - at the belay, relaxed, on the flat - what's going to happen as you climb up? - Will you have "runner bunnies" on the end of giant cheat sticks to check each runner? Or parachuted "belay buddies" to meet you at the stance? The whole notion is just another bit of yankified pseudo-safety fluff. By all means do it but far from increasing safety being reliant on someone else to check your knots can only make the careless even more so... Don't you check your own knot when tying and afterwards, as suggested just above?
Balderdash, mutter, mutter, what's the world coming to? etc etc.