LinuxChix has only two official rules: ``Be polite, be helpful.'' Everything else is just a clarification of these rules. We avoid adding ``clarifications'' because if you have a long list of rules, people being impolite can claim that whatever they did was not written down as being against the rules. Whereas with ``be polite, be helpful,'' the list administrators and core volunteers just have to explain why a particular behavior is impolite and unhelpful. In addition, many volunteers had had bad experiences with volunteer groups that over-litigated, and strongly resisted attempts to create more rules. These two rules are sufficient for everyone who shares the goals of LinuxChix. These rules didn't work for trolls or other person of ill will - but neither would any other rules.
That said, we came up with two clarifications which were helpful. First, never use ``RTFM'' as an answer to a technical question. You can say ``the key word you're looking for is foo,'' or ``read page bar of manual bar,'' but assume that the person asking the question has tried to read the manual. Second, when responding to a sensitive subject, always respond to the idea, never the person. Stay polite and respectful when talking about the person, no matter what you think of their ideas. When reading a post about a sensitive subject, read it assuming the other person is respecting the person they are responding to, even if they're attacking their ideas. Persistent and repeated personal attacks are one of the few ways to be banned from a LinuxChix mailing list or IRC channel.
The first clarification banning ``RTFM'' has given us a reputation for technical helpfulness. The second has allowed us to debate politics, religion, gay marriage, and preference for editors, with a minimum of people being upset and nothing that can actually be called a flame war.
Occasionally, of course, we get a person who comes in and is persistently impolite or unhelpful. Usually, we try to take them aside and explain, in private email, why they're being impolite. Unfortunately, few of them understand. Fortunately, most of them interpret polite requests to be considerate of others as ``being picked on'' and leave of their own accord. We resort to technological means to exile the few remaining offenders.