I've never thought about this question until Larry posed it. After reflecting on it for a day and reading the responses, my answer is a rather noncommittal one -- go with whatever approach is most reliable from a service approach and least likely to break. As batteries in 99% of situations are immediately replaced anyway, remembering the orientation would seem a non-issue. And if you happen to put them in the wrong way, you can always switch them. I'd be more concerned and inconvenienced by needing to be without a piece of equipment due to needed servicing than worrying whether clips, springs, or whatever were used.