lots of people use it for tying off around a piling.
That is a VERY bad idea; I've seen boats float out into the middle of the fairway at the marina that way or get bashed during a storm when it slipped on them. The worst part of it is that there are only about a half-a-hundred better ways to do the same job.
For a temporary tie-up instead take the pre-spliced end, push the line through (making a loop) and toss that around the piling. Pull tight and then secure the bitter end on the cleat. Now neither end can come loose.
For a permanent dockline I take a couple of turns around the piling and then secure the end with a couple of half-hitches. Make sure you have the length right, then wrap the flying end with electrical tape, cut it to length, and sear the end. The pre-spliced loop is the boat end. The load is taken by the wraps and the line, not the knot (the half-hitches just keep it from slipping); this costs you almost nothing in line strength, which is important if you expect to survive a storm on those lines. This is excellent (and far faster for inexperienced people on your boat to handle when you come back in) provided you don't need to be able to make significant tidal adjustments. If you do, then see above; you need the bitter end on board in that situation.