clip or no

I don't think so.

There are always disadvantages and advantages. Clips is better for pedaling and it keeps your feet in the "sweet spot." But you can't be as aggressive in turns but that might be a good thing

there's no answer to that question, just a lot of pros and cons

Thats true, I was riding clips, but now I ride flats, and they have its pros and cons, but its more of how confident you feel riding on each type of pedals.

For my style of riding, I have been more comfortable with flats, but its a preference thing...

has to be clipless for XC and anything with pedaling but i still would go platform for anything gravity they're just more fun

For me, its all about the track and the conditions. I always start out a weekend at a race on flats until I learn the track. Its nice being able to eject from the bike if you approach something unexpected. Then after a few runs I'll decide whether I need clips or not. I definitely prefer to ride clipped in for racing, but sometimes I'll go all winter riding flats. It's good to be able to ride both styles confidently so you can switch back and forth with no issues. My answer, its a personal thing. Don't feel like you need to ride flats because Sam HIll does, or ride clips because Minnaar does.

it all depends on the feet of the beholder! i ran clips first and found i would have trouble off and on getting my feet back on in the thick of things. but i did enjoy the pedaling advantages. i switched to flats and i love it, still able to keep my feet on the pedals and it provides a bit more confidence! try both and see what YOU think.

I like to be able to move my feet around on the pedals,so clicking in really didnt work for me.

For 4x and DS you need to time about 5 gates (not the whole course) with each type of pedal and then average them. Then do the same with full runs, and make your decision based on that data.
For DH, I would have to say flats for Colorado courses and clips for Fontana because of the pedally wall section at the end.
5.10 is my personal recommendation. I have seen too many fools dealing with mechanical issues and accidental unclipping to ever ride clipped.

...but what do I know?

Twenty6 Prerunner Pedals+ Five Ten Shoes = No Clips needed - Ever