[General Topics] Oswald Boelcke:
Background: Following some threads at XDA I’ve pretty early realised that quite a few bug reports, requests, and questions in regard to ROMs, kernels or applications are raised without sufficient information to allow (Recognised) Developers (RD), Recognised Contributors (RC), or other members to easily provide solid answers and recommendations or a possible fix. Everybody should remember even a highly professional member cannot read your mind.

Initially, I opened a thread with the same topic in regard to the device I use: The Samsung SGS3 LTE (GT-i9305). It’s accessible . If you already know that thread, I hope you don’t mind that I mostly copied and pasted.

Purpose: To provide some recommendations how to best phrase a request for support to possible ROM/kernel/applications issues in order to receive the most suitable answer and solution.

General recommendations:

Please read the XDA Forum Rules provided by @MikeChannon; a MUST READ for everybody who intends to post on XDA. Other MUST READ's I certainly recommend to everybody who wants to "breathe" what I believe the spirit of XDA is, are the following posts:

Forum Etiquette by @TheByteSmasher,

http://xdaforums.com/show...postcount=2441 by @zelendel, and last but not least

http://xdaforums.com/show...9&postcount=44 by @kyphur

Remember: Before you flash anything take a NANDROID backup or ensure you've an up-to-date one!

If you don’t know yet what’s hidden behind some of the expressions mentioned in the title of the following linked thread, just check it out: What is? Boot loader, custom ROMs, CWM, modem, kernel, flashing, rooting, ADB, baseband?? by @esimon311. Thanks to esimon311 for this great overview.

Guidance for useful modifications regarding some parts of your kernel can be obtained here: [GUIDE] Most up to date guide on CPU governors, I/O schedulers and more! by @Saber. Thanks to Saber for this great guide.

Before you post your issue or request, reboot at least once and try to replicate your problem. If it doesn't persist any longer the reboot might already have been the solution.

Read, read, and read again, read the OP (first post of each thread) and scan the respective thread. Use the search function of XDA. Remember: Make use of your friend – your favourite web-search engine. It does mean you have to read and study but I've no doubt you don't mind to do that for your device. Maybe, you'll find your required answer without having to post something.

A lot of OPs already contain hints how to solve commonly known issues.

Before you post in a ROM development thread, be sure not to run a custom kernel or Xposed. In case you use the latter, disable all Xposed modules and check if your issue still persists. Anyhow, if you’re using custom kernel or Xposed and you're convinced the issue is ROM related, you might post but mention the kernel and/or Xposed.

Last but not least: Don't ask what e.g. the best ROM, kernel or app is! All of them available at xda are great; however, each one of them has its different specification, capabilities, and pro's and con's depend on personal desire and expectations. The best one for you is the one, which meets your desire and expectation.

Before you post in a thread:

If you want to sell your car you probably achieve the better bargain the better (or more suitable) the portal is, in which you're offering it. I'm convinced you won't offer a car with the star at the bonnet on a webside covering military motorbikes.

Same applies to XDA. The more precise your post is going to fit into a thread or forum the faster and most likely better reply you're going to receive.

For this reason, I suggest you to exactly identify, in which of the 1000 fora or probably millions of threads to post. Prior to posting take you're time and study the following excellent guides and recommendations - all by @sd_shadow - to find the best and most reasonable place for your post.

[Guide] How and Where to Ask a Question on XDA

"Have Question about Posting?" in this post

[Index] of Help Threads (and Template)

When you post in a thread:

If available, post questions in Q&A threads (some threads have a dedicated Q&A section besides its development one) instead of the development thread. But if you have a solid bug report (never reported before, and your post is complying to all the required criteria provided below including all necessary info), you can post in a development thread.

Don't make a RD, RC or anybody else to read your mind. Don't have them to make assumptions – as soon as an assumption fails the whole solution is going to become void.

Please post your issue or request by using the English language as mentioned in the XDA rules to allow everybody to understand the post and hopefully to contribute, or at least to learn out of it. Don't be afraid if English isn't your native tongue – that's certainly the case for most of the xda users. A language barrier isn't an issue at XDA – as long as we all at least try to use the English language. Even if your English skills aren't too developed just use simple wording or a reasonable translator tool; nobody is going to blame you; however, try to be as precise and unambiguous as possible.

Always run a logging tool to be able to augment your post by a log file. Add the log as an attachment to your post or upload it into the cloud and provide the link in your post. Do not include the log into the text phrase of your post in order not to spam the thread. It doesn't matter, which logging tool you use but familiarise yourself with its use and where it saves the log. I'm personally e.g. using "Catlog" that saves logs to the internal storage. Alternatively use adb commands. Here is a [Tutorial] How To Logcat by @paxChristos. Thanks to paxChristos for this great tutorial.

If you're running (Ed)Xposed uninstall it, and take the log again (while Xposed is running, the log even states that it's useless because of Xposed).

Take screenshot(s) and attach them/it to your post. Don’t insert it/them into the “text box”. Before you take a screenshot, change your system language to English to allow everybody to understand the content of the screen.

Always provide exact and precise information about your issue. Write a description and, if possible, steps to allow for reproduction.

Unless the issue is only related to an application always provide exact and precise information about your device, the ROM, the kernel, your recovery, and specify the versions of the latter three. If you have issues with a theme, information regarding your ROM is certainly required. Occasionally information about your modem (or even bootloader) might also be helpful e.g. if you've problems with the RIL, mobile network or making phone calls. If you're on F2FS please mention.

If your issue or problem occurred immediately after you flashed a ROM* or kernel* or installed an application (incl. themes), please describe your installation procedure (clean, dirty, or describe when you wiped and/or formatted what).

*Please provide information, from which ROM or kernel you came.

Credits and many thanks to @woodman and @alias_ z3d in helping me to set up this OP.