Believe it or not, some of this mess is caused by the NEC and NRTL.
Ever wonder why those power strips are so hard to mount securely (so everything can be neat and orderly)? Because, in the late '70's, when it was first decided to "list" such devices, it was also decided that ease of mounting implied permanent use, and the listing was contingent on their being "temporary." Quality units, on the market at the time, that could be securely mounted had to be changed in order to pass the standard.
Oddly enough, progress since then will help reduce the mis-use of those 2-to-3 prong adapters. Not only are most appliances now using two-prong cords, but those electronic devices that require a good ground won't work properly without one- no matter what the receptacle looks like!
One OSHA rule that I violate is that I use a two-wire extension cord. Can anyone explain how it is better for me to plug a double-insulated two-prong tool into a three-wire cord? And, what am I supposed to do when the job site has knob & tube, two-wire (no ground) circuits?
