Ours is installed with the closed end facing the toilet by our contractor.

Mine is installed with the open end facing you if you are sitting on the toilet. I've never had an issue with it so I'm guessing either way will work.

The reverse of the photo.

We have a similar bar-type holder in our bathroom. It works well with the closed side closest to the toilet. However, I do sometimes knock the roll off the holder if I brush it with my leg when leaving that area. I guess if the roll is going to fall off, I'd prefer that to having it fall off when you pull the paper...:-)

I was thinking about installing mine with the open end up. I know it's not the usual way, but seems it would work best to keep it on the holder.

I've never had a problem with the roll coming off, except when it knocked off as chalifax mentioned.

The closed end faces the toilet. As said, when you are pulling paper off, this makes it so you don't also pull the roll off. If you have it the other way around, you could train yourself to pull downward only, I guess.

Ours opens toward the toilet and we've never had trouble with the roll coming off. You generally pull out, not back -- unless the holder is so far in front of the toilet that you have to lean forward to use it.

Also, guys stand in front of the toilet at certain times! If they pulled in any sideways direction, it would be away from the toilet. Don't know about your guys, but mine can be a little careless.

Most of these comments do not clearly describe which way the open end faces.

A contractor installed a single post toilet paper holder in my bathroom last year, I think in the less-convenient (“wrong”) orientation. That is, in tearing off a length of t.p., I tend to tear back to front, requiring either 2 hands or a flying roll. I want to reverse it so that when one tears toward the front, the roll can’t come off, and it shouldn’t required two hands.