I combine methods according to size. For bed size quilts, I start by basting with herringbone basting stitches along the sashings or the outside edges of blocks on my dining room table with all of the sides hanging down. With this method I can check alignment of the pieced back as I go. Then I safety pin once in the center of the blocks until I get ready to start quilting that section. If I am straight line quilting, I will add straight quilting pins. Otherwise, I add some more safety pins. To me, this adds less weight than heavy pinning all over the quilt and doesn't take as much time as basting the whole quilt.
If I make smaller quilts such as baby or lap quilts, I will baste all over. I've tried the boards and dangling over the edges of a folding 24" X 48" table, and have no preference. The trick to basting for me was finding long 5" needles that are fine, but not too fine, and thread which won't tangle. I can baste much faster now.