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I actually use side-pinning for 95% of my specimens - just like Ivan does and I haven't had any problems with flies rotating on the micropin. :) I think it really depends on a few things: the micro-pin shouldn't be too thin (I use 0.38-0.45mm diameter for most medium-large specimens) and the pin should be inserted at a slight angle - so that you don't destroy the same feature on both sides of the fly. The only difference is that I orient my specimens differently to Ivan, but the principle is the same.

I prefer this method because everything is visible (in top-down pinning it's often more difficult to see the prosternum and legs) and the specimen is protected very well from vibrations etc. :) They also take up a bit less space too ;)