One of these days I'm going to write 'Lazy Parenting'... whenever I get around to it :D
I didn't potty train either of my kids... I read a lot about the historic and modern methods, and decided that that all sounded like a great deal of work, especially if I guessed wrong about when they were physically and mentally capable. So, instead of having to clean underpants, pants, socks, shoes, carpets, upholstery and car seats, I cleaned diapers until they grew out of the need for them.
They knew what the toilet was for (accompanied me into many more than one public restroom stall over the years) and became aware that babies wear diapers and adults don't. Eventually (at different ages) both of them figured it out, with a couple of periods of trying it out, sometimes for days, and then going back to not paying attention or caring for a while, and then 'getting it' for real.
I noticed that pattern of learning again and again: curiosity and exploration leading to 'doing' something for a little while, followed by a period of absolutely no interest in it. Later, sometimes weeks and sometimes months, when the issue came back to them again as 'interesting' they were well on their way to mastery.
I've seen a number of people attempt 'Diaper Free' and mostly it looks like a great deal of work for mom. Or dad. Or whoever is there. Given that we don't have dirt floors, and we do have restrictive clothing and the 'public gross-out factor', diaper free appears impractical to me, at least in the city.
L.