So me and my wiring instructor buddy are down in the basement clipping the romex that powers the basement. I'm about to rewire the whole thing and add an additional circuit - so we shut off the breaker and clipped the wires to make demolition easier.
Anyway we get to one notorious section of my basement where the empty but powered light sockets hang down from the splice in the wire. My buddy is curious about how the splice was done, and taking a knife proceeds to unwind the electricians tape from the splice. Turns out the original installer simply stripped a section of the original hot wire of insulation - about 4 inches worth, then wound the hot wire of the socket around the bare wire - and covered it with electricians tape. The same was done with the neutral wire. Keep in mind, he didn't cut the wire, he simply removed the insulation (how I don't know). The socket wire, strand type, was only losely wound around the bare copper wire.
He did suspend the wire from the wall by using a bent finishing nail (and nicked the Romex in the process). I'll be grateful when the rewire is done, all it would take is for one spider to call that place home and that'd be all she wrote.
I guess this is why the inspection process is so important, and one of the reasons why I'm having mine inspected before closing up the wall. No need to leave the next owner a ticking time bomb.