We are not sitting in little desks, waiting for a teacher to "grade" our efforts. No one will go to the principal's office if they don't do things the approved way. THere is no "cheating" in quilting. There are various methods, all of which work, and the method that best fits your project/time/money is the method you should use.
My first quilt was tied and the backing was brought to the front for binding. Those are the kind of quilts I grew up with, and I have many fond memories of them. I still do the backing as binding thing once in awhile, and will probably tie another quilt or two, although it is no longer my preferred method.