Well if you are climbing with multiple sticks you typically dont hook up your tether at all. Slack in your tether is far safer than falling with only a lineman belt, unless you are crossing it like Flingingarrows showed years ago. Its a pain to climb with a crossed lineman, so most dont do it. As for single sticking, dont take up slack, move the tether up once you get on bottom solid step. Then step up onto top step and move it up again.
I agree with you. A little slack in tether is better then none at all lol