alt Hacker NewsI lived several decades knowing only the standard set of knots (square, granny) that every six-year-old knows.
Recently, due to Scouts, learned more and I can't believe how often I use them.
"Dryer's busted! My DIY laundry line sags! What to do?!"
"If only I could make a loop that won't move in the middle of this rope!"
Ever since I was a scout in the 90s I've been considering how to get in contact with them about discouraging use of the square knot.
The way that loading it crosswise causes it to shift into a double half hitch, turning from a "hold fast" knot to a slipknot... That's funky behavior and should disqualify it from being among the first few knots people learn. If you're using it for its advertised purpose, it's downright dangerous, and the square/granny confusion is just needless pain to discourage a newbie.
If you wanna tie two ropes together and have a less finicky experience, use a fisherman's knot. Which is basically a pair of overhands, each around the other rope.
It's a much more reliable knot for trying two ropes together, lacks the annoying gotchas of the square knot, and for a long list of reasons I won't bore you with here it is a better foundation for learning other knots. (It's no good for drawstrings though, too reliable, no quick release).