In a previous article, " said:
Can someone explain to a new pilot (who's never used it!) what flight
following is all about and how to actually get it? Thanks!

It means that sort-of like an IFR flight, ATC will provide traffic
advisories on a work-load permitting basis (which means that they may
point out some traffic but then not point out the one that's actually
heading straight for you because they got busy with some IFR traffic), and
they may hand you off to another facility as you leave their airspace, or
they may just say "frequency change approved, squawk VFR", again depending
on workload (and apparently, how much they hate the guys in the next
facility).

For a VFR-only pilot, it means you have another pair of eyes looking out
for you (or half a pair of eyes, sometimes), and it gives you an
experience with the system that will help when you get your instrument
rating. It does not mean you can fly head down in the cockpit or relax
your scan for conflicting traffic.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"using Outlook to read e-mail is like licking public toilets; using Outlook
with a virus checker is like taking antibiotics and then licking public
toilets (it might work, but it's hardly optimal" -- David Megginson