When panning do you automate it or create a new channel?

Why not just pan the channel, itself, that you're talking about?

I'm confused by this thread.
What does automation even mean? I'm a noob at this shit!

Well, if you pan the channel you change the previous pan settings, which, in this case, you would'nt want to do. So by automating you can for example change the guitar L pan from the verse 60% to more vide 100% for chorus. :)