Is going to HK or outside of China to get a Z visa still doable or not? getting mixed information? Thoughts?

Well it's not very achievable for many of us, is it? If I were a young FT, I wouldn't bother about working in China at all-what with the medical (Chinese type full one) you are now obliged to pay for in your own country-buy a laptop, you'll need it, because more and more schools are providing less and less. The wages have dramatically dipped for an FT in China-why bother? Foxy Poster has his head screwed on-find fragrant Chinese wife and work illegally- more self-respect in that than putting up with all the following crap, currently displayed (2013) in China Daily. Mind you, don't blame the Chinese, blame the FT's for letting them get away with it.

Work (Z) visas
1) In your home country
As with the other visas, you're going to need a bevy of documents to apply for a Z visa, the most important of which are your invitation letter and a Foreign Expert Certificate (外国专家证申请表 ) and/or Foreign Employment License. According to the Rule for the Administration of Foreigners in China, the Foreign Employment License is granted by the Chinese government provided you have all the necessary documents and meet five criteria: "(1) 18 years of age or older and in good health; (2) with professional skills and job experience required for the work of intended employment; (3) with no criminal record; (4) a clearly-defined employer; (5) with valid passport or other international travel document in lieu of the passport".
The Foreign Expert Certificate is essentially an upgraded version of the Foreign Employment License. According to the same website, the Foreign Expert Certificate is given to "foreign professional technical and managerial personnel employed directly by the Chinese government or those with senior technical titles or credentials of special skills recognized by their home or international technical authorities or professional associations to be employed by Chinese government organs and institutions and foreigners holding Foreign Expert Certificate issued by China's State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs."
Also, don't forget about the health check, same as for the X visa. And depending on your line of work, in certain special cases, you may also need additional materials, such as a commercial performance document. And if you have family coming with you to China, they'll also need to provide an invitation letter from a "Duly Authorized Unit" or a "Confirmation Letter" as well as proof of kinship (i.e., marriage certificate and birth certificates). Also, like the X visa, you'll have to apply for your residence permit within 30 days of your arrival in China.

2) Currently living in Mainland China and applying for a Z visa in Hong Kong?
Last but not least, if you're looking to get your Z visa in Hong Kong, it's still possible to do, however the process is now significantly more difficult. In addition to the previous application processes and requirements, currently, the only way to get a Z visa in Hong Kong is if you have a Foreign Expert Certificate document (外国专家证申请表 ) issued by the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (国家外国专家局) that says "Hong Kong" (香港) on it. The good news is that your employer is the one to apply for this certificate for you; the bad news is the government only issues a limited number of these certificates for Hong Kong each year. More bad news, expats with certain jobs (a chef for example) are unable to apply for a Foreign Expert Certificate (they apply for a Foreign Employment Permit). Consequently, these expats are currently unable to apply for a Z visa in Hong Kong and must instead do so back in their home country.
We will try our best to keep you up to date on any new regulations that arise. In the meantime, if you'd like to add to/or clarify on any of the information listed above, please do so in the comments!