agree with fasttimes and i think an important issue has been left out in all the "engineered flex debate", one has to realize if that if flex due to stanchion diameter happens, there will also be the unavoidable consequence of friction in the bushings due to the fact that the lowers wont flex in the same manner as the stanchions, thus creating a situation where you are trying to jam a stanchion inside a lower, that has a different shape. so no, i cant see any situation where lateral or frontal flex at the stanchions would be desirable in a fork, save for perhaps that it might make frames last a bit longer at the head tube.