This post is going to infuriate a lot of people. I'm going to tell you right now, I just don't care. I deal with far more user problems than most people have any clue about, and I get told constantly that I'm "condescending" when I tell them things like "4.1.2 is NOT a valid version number" when dealing with what FXZ to flash to a phone. So let's create a little "how to ask for help" guide so that I won't have to be "condescending" when TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE. 
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If you are offended by this post, please don't ever ask me for help.
1. Let's start with "I tried it...it didn't work." This is not a valid response EVER. Period.
2. When asked for a version number, the Android version is not what we're looking for. IOW, "4.1.2" is never the answer. To find the information we're asking for, look in settings, about phone, and look for the Build number or system version. If your phone is not booting and you do not know the answer to this question, simply say "my phone is not booting and I do not know the answer." That's a valid, albeit not great, response.
3. Why does the answer to 2 matter? Because when trying to help you, we need to know the EXACT build you're running in order to know what to tell you to do. If we tell you to flash the wrong FXZ, or attempt a root method not designed for your build, it wastes your time, our time, and potentially will brick your phone making an ungood situation potentially far worse. No one wants that.
4. Telling us ALL the steps you took to get to the point where you're having issues IS, in fact, useful. When someone has a "flash failed" message on a device, it didn't just happen by accident. If an OTA fails to install, it's not because root is installed. It's ok to say "I'm not sure what caused this but here's the last thing I remember doing..." and give a detailed explanation of what you were doing. The point is, the more information that helps us determine how you got to where you are the easier it will be for us to tell you how to fix it.
5. Reading isn't really an optional thing. All too often people post asking for help sometimes literally directly after a post that tells them how to fix the very problem they're having. If you encounter a problem, take some time and search for an answer. Chances are someone's encountered the problem you're having. If you're unsure of some result you found, post stating "well, I found this answer here that seems to indicate a fix for my problem, but, I'm unsure of how to follow it." No problem. Someone will be glad to help you out. Taking the initiative and attempting to find a solution is GREATLY appreciated.
6. Types of information to include in your post:
o) Phone model
o) System version, not Android version (see above)
o) Whether you installed the latest driver...or not
o) Are you using the USB cable that came with your phone...or not
o) The exact error you're seeing. "Doesn't boot" doesn't tell us diddly about the problem. Is it hanging at the logo? Is it booting automatically into AP Fastboot mode with an error? Is the OTA failing with an error 7? We need to see the FULL error message and/or symptoms in order to help you quicker.
o) Steps you may have attempted to fix the problem before asking for help. Hey, it's noble to try to fix the problem yourself. I applaud the initiative. But if you've flashed "some fxz I found" in an attempt to fix a non-booting phone, I'd like to know about it. Provide a link to what you flashed. You get the idea here. The more information you provide, the easier it'll be to narrow down your issue.
7. If flashing an FXZ with RSD, it's VERY helpful to post the contents of your swdl.txt file which is found in your RSD installation folder. Posting that MAY save a lot of time in trying to diagnose the problem.
Here's a sample post of what a request for help could look like and go a long way toward solving the problem faster:
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Help! My xt912 on system version 98.72.165 is stuck on the motorola M screen when booting up. I tried flashing Blur_Version.6.16.211.XT912.Verizon.en.US.zip to fix the problem, but, I received an error in RSD. Here's my swdl.txt file:
<pretend swdl.txt file contents are posted here>
I'm not sure how to fix this.
_______
We have almost all the information needed here to help the person fix the problem. More information could have been provided, but, at least we get the model of the phone, the system version they were on, the symptoms of what isn't working, what they tried to do to fix it, and a lot of their attempt to flash an (incorrect in this case) FXZ. Helping this person would be fairly trivial.
In the end, the more information you provide when asking for help, the quicker you'll get the help you need to fix your problem. Let's hope this helps create a better community.
