Michael,
I like slipping but not to set off a crosswind. I think the crab and kickoff method is better for that for the reasons set out above.
There is (IMO) little to be gained from kicking off high and then doing the wing low approach over a longer trajectory for students as:
1. You miss some of the visual clues which make the kick off easy to teach and understand when you are higher up and
2. Why teach something which you are not going to use later on.
By all means if people want to learn to sideslip do this initially higher up along ground references.
Foxmoth,
You are of course correct. But if you get your aerodynamics books out you will see that slipping is an inherently safe activity whereas skidding is not. A lot of stall spin accidents happen because folks try to rudder the aeroplane around the corner when slow and low rather than flying coordinated.
SS,
As you say the only thing that exists is slipping and whether that is sidewards of forwards depends on where you steer your ship.
Any other nomenclature only confuses the subject so that hangar fliers can make it sound more interesting and difficult than it is.
FD