VFR Flight Planning ?

VFR is just that - visual flight. ATC is not tracking you, unless you have 'Flight Following', and then they are primarily tracking altitude. Filing a flight plan ensures someone will come looking for you if you don't close it - at least that's MHO.

It's only on IFR flight plans that ATC is tracking you for course as well as altitude.

So, you don't have to go over your points on your flight plan, but it would be a really good idea to be within a narrow distance of each on your flight. That makes for good pilots, and improves your navigational skills. Again, in mho...

You don't have to go anywhere near the planned route of VFR flight.

When IFR since you lead turns at most course changes, you might not fly over the fixes listed in that flight plan either.

If you don't fly over your points or cut a corner on your route, there is no way that they'll ever know anyway. As a practical matter, if you have a radio on board you could always give Flight Service a call and amend your route. There will be a time associated with your transmission which will give them a better clue as to where to start their search should they have to. Every PIREP you give is logged, and you'll always be telling them where you are when you give one, so the more you give as your flight progresses, the smaller the search area becomes should it be necessary.

Just don't forget to close it when you get there.

You're not required to follow the route in your VFR flight plan. However, the route will be used to guide search and rescue operations if you should fail to show up at the destination airport, so it's a good idea to stick pretty closely to the filed route, if possible (and if you choose to include a route in the FP).

They have it right, but I guess I would add: If you're not going to follow your flight plan, why file it?

People who forget to close their flight plans cause a significant amount of trouble: there have been many times flying over northern Minnesota or Wisconsin that I've been asked to listen for aircraft, listen for ELTS, and call airports from the air to look for various aircraft because their pilots hadn't closed their flight plans.

No you can deviate any which way you see fit. The problem is that if you don't close the flight plan within 30 mins of the time of arrival they'll start trying to get in contact with you, if they can't they might start looking for your smoking wreckage. You'll have to recalculate your fuel & time if you deviate, but as far have HAVING to do it, no, do whatever you want.