Has anyone determined the correct way to mount an outlet according to
code these days? I dont have a current NEC book. For many years
everyone mounted them with the ground on the bottom. Then some years
back they wanted the ground on the top, the reason given was because
of objects falling onto the hot terminal of a plug. After that, it
seems like the rules changed again, and the last I heard it was no
longer a "rule" but simply personal choice. Of course that was
several years ago too.

From a personal point of view, I think they look stupid when the
ground is on the top. I can somewhat understand the problem with the
hot prong on the top and gravity issue, but aside from a metal outlet
cover losing it's screw and falling onto the hot terminal, it seems
pretty unlikely that any other metal object would contact the prongs.
If a child is playing around an outlet, they can touch the hot prong
from the bottom as well as the top. Of course they should get their
butt kicked for playing with an outlet, (which of course will violate
another law and get the parent sent to prison for physical abuse to a
child..... but that's another issue, not to be discussed here).

In the end, it seems that this matter becomes pretty senseless in the
end. If the prongs of a plug are that loose, the plug usually falls
out of the wall. As long as people keep metal (and all) outlet cover
plate screws tight, there should be no real issue.

But code is code, (right or wrong). According to code, what is the
latest "approved" method to mount an outlet?
I am asking this because I have an old neighbor who calls himself an
electrician. (In reality, he's a handyman who does some minor
electrical work, such as adding an outlet). He said he has not read
the code in at least ten years, (probably more than 20 years). Yet he
insists that my outlets all need to be flipped to put the ground on
the top.

Alvin