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In order to avoid re-inventing the wheel, I'm compiling a list of threads from meta.christianity.SE on dealing with trolls, un-Islamic answers, etc.

How to handle comment trolls

Should be be deleting blatantly non-Christian answers

How do we deal with trolling in questions and answers

Anyone who wants to moderate actively is advised to go through these, and create their own thread on meta.islam.SE to take it further when required.

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    Also this meta.christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/305/…
    – Ansari
    Jun 26, 2012 at 16:57
  • Also, perhaps more specific to us Muslims, how do we avoid unsubstantiated fatwas? In other words, people that may be talking of their own opinions rather than Islamic rulings, not necessarily out of bad intentions?
    – Ahmad Bushnaq
    Jun 26, 2012 at 20:07
  • Jewish Life & Learning may have some valuable lessons as well (I know at Christianity.SE we looked to them for some guidance when we were starting out).
    – Flimzy
    Jun 26, 2012 at 21:11
  • @Flimzy good point - I'll look over there as well. I just thought of Christianity because I remember looking these over a few months ago, and also because Judaism doesn't seem to attract trolls the way Christianity or Islam to.
    – Ansari
    Jun 26, 2012 at 21:14
  • @Ansari: It's possible that Christianity attracts more trolls. but I do think JL&U has had a fair share, as well.
    – Flimzy
    Jun 26, 2012 at 21:15
  • @AhmadBushnaq - we can simply ask for references. Either to primary or secondary texts.
    – Ansari
    Jun 26, 2012 at 22:40
  • @Flimzy I couldn't find any relevant threads on meta.judaism :(
    – Ansari
    Jun 26, 2012 at 22:57
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    @Flimzy Judaism SE is so heavily immersed in the discussion of obscure Jewish law that it just does not look all that attractive to trolls in that it's all just crazy moon talk to them.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Jun 26, 2012 at 23:44
  • Another factor is that Mi Yodeya was first a more private SEv1.0 site, they didn't even need a private beta when they moved to SEv2.0. We can talk directly with Moshe directly about his experience in keeping it working when we need.
    – Kaveh
    Jun 27, 2012 at 0:17

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Okay, maybe I'm a bit biased, but here are a few watershed posts I felt typify why the Christianity SE site "works" while similar forums on the subject wallow in controversy.

For when these issues come up here:

Dealing with differing views/sects on one site

Trolling

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    This is invaluable Robert - thanks for posting these. Can you give us some examples of of sites wallowing in controversy and if an analysis exists on how they got there, that too. Thanks!
    – Ansari
    Jun 26, 2012 at 23:39
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    @Ansari By "sites wallowing in controversy", I'm referring to many 3rd-party threaded discussion forums where the noise level and infighting often renders them unusable. No specific forums come to mind at the moment, but this is a pretty good primer about how/why this happens; It's a good read: The forum/chat room problem
    – Robert Cartaino
    Jun 26, 2012 at 23:47
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I think the more recent post on What Christianity SE is and isn't is a very useful resource.

I've come to understand what is and isn't acceptable in a way that can be expressed in two images.

In one, I picture a seeker, maybe coming to their Pastor or Priest, or maybe climbing a mountain to ask a guru the secret of life, or hoping the heavens will open up and divinely reveal absolute truth.

In the second picture, I see a giant person peering into a box with a magnifying glass, viewing all the little Christians running around with their various beliefs, saying "Oh, hey, look at this. That bunch over there believes in predestination while these ones over here don't. I wonder why that is? Hey, little guy: Why doesn't your group believe in predestination?" The little guy answers, and maybe triggers another little guy to ask a question of another, and sooner or later, all understand each other just a little bit better.

This site is more like that second picture.

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