Forum Guidelines
Welcome to the Golden Skate (GS) Forums!
As a guest on our forums, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:
Keep posts constructive. Posts are welcomed and appreciated as long as they are constructive. For example, "So-and-so is a horrible skater!" is not a constructive post. An acceptable post would be "I feel so-and-so could improve their skating if ..."
The best way to get your opinion(s) recognized is not to be abusive or offensive, but to be positive and communicate in a mature fashion. Please post in respective folders. Each forum has a brief description beneath the title. Please avoid posting random and off-topic conversation in the wrong forum as they will be removed without notice.
Avatars
Avatars are the small square graphical images that you see under a poster's username. Once you have 10+ posts, you may upload your own. See our Avatar FAQ for more info. Do not use avatars in conjunction with a skater in order to ridicule or criticize the athlete.
Competition Forums and Season Passes
For many years, the GS Forum has been providing services free of charge. The traffic has inevitably grown and the servers are upgraded as needed. Moving forward, a small fee will be charged to access the Competition Forums in order to help offset the cost of maintaining the forums and paying for the servers. Please refer to this thread for our policy on competition chat. There will be no charge for the competition forums for 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
Copyright Infringement
Do not post photos, entire articles, translations etc. unless you have received permission from the author to do so. If you'd like to share an article from an external news source, forum, etc., just use a few "lead-in" sentences with a link to the original work and credit the source.
Correct spelling of names
Please do not combine, abbreviate, or otherwise change the spelling of a skater or team's name. This includes using a skater's name or part of a skater's name (i.e. in political, geographical, or other context).
COVID-19
Do not discuss COVID-19 unless it's in a brief context that relates to a skater or event. Any post(s) which the GS Staff collectively feels is derailing a thread and/or deems political in nature, opinionated, unscientific, and/or inappropriate, will be removed without notice and may result in a warning.
Fan Fests
The Fan Fest (FF) is a place for fans to celebrate and praise their favorite skaters—not a place to pick apart their technique, skills, etc. As always, be respectful to each other's threads when posting. Keep discussions in the respective threads and do not bring up other skaters with the intent to bash, debate, critique, and/or compare. Keep in mind that even fans of the same skater may hold a diverse array of viewpoints and thoughts.
Note: Please do not create threads for skaters until they reach the junior competitive age of 13. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 is a United States federal law (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506) created to protect the privacy of children under 13. This includes posting links to videos and images to children under the age of 13.
Foreign Language posts, comments, custom titles, etc.
Golden Skate welcomes and encourages participation from every corner of the figure skating world. However, GS is an English language forum, so if you include words or phrases in another language, please provide an English translation.
Warnings
Warnings are given when posts and/or behavior are considered unacceptable and/or inappropriate. A warning can consist of one or more points and can have an indefinite expiration date. If a user reaches four or more points (before any warnings expire), they will be temporarily banned. Warnings, along with their points and expiration dates, are decided by the moderators as a team — not as individuals.
When a member is issued a warning, they will receive an alert and/or PM (Conversation) with an explanation. They can also see their warnings in their individual member tab.
The warning system was implemented to help members understand the Guidelines — not to punish. As the Terms of Service states: “We may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice.”
Language
The GS Forum is rated "Teen" and is therefore censored for language. Any attempt to circumvent the language filter will not be tolerated.
Linking to News sites
Links to established news sites are permitted. Examples are: ESPN, CNN, Eurosport, as well as figure skating organizations such as the ISU, Skate Canada, USFS, Russian Skating Federation etc. Posts with links to sites that the staff feels are tabloid in nature will be removed without notice.
Linking to Personal sites, blogs, channels, etc.
If you have an article or interview that is skating-related which you would like to share on Golden Skate, please do so in the Share It! forum unless you are going to post the entire interview, in which case, can be done in the Edge. If posting in the Share It! forum, we ask in return that you please put a reciprocal link to Golden Skate (https://www.goldenskate.com) somewhere on your site. Do not abuse this privilege by cluttering threads with links to event/competition reports, materials for personal profit (i.e. DVDs, books), and/or other site updates. Bottom line, do not use Golden Skate as a vehicle to promote your site.
Post reporting
The GS Forums strive to keep a fun, informative and interesting place for lively discussion. If you see a post that offends you personally, it doesn't mean that the post itself has necessarily violated any guidelines. There will always be posters who are less sensitive than others. Also keep in mind that there are language and cultural differences on the forum due to a wonderful array of members from all over the world.
Before reporting a post, we ask that you review the guidelines herein to ensure that the said post is indeed in violation of a rule(s). Do not post to (or address a thread) before you report it. You may end up finding yourself in violation with your own response!
While the staff does not respond directly to the individual who reports a post, please be assured that we will review each and every one and take action if and as needed. In addition, the staff is not required to explain their decision(s) to the reporting individual or poster in question. However, if and when a poster receives a warning or infraction, they are notified of the reason by PM. Warnings and Infractions are hidden from public view.
Do not abuse the Report Post feature by repeatedly reporting posts in a small time-frame and/or reporting posts that are over a week old.
Post/Thread editing
Part of the moderators responsibilities are to scan thread titles for possible editing for quality assurance, misspellings, etc. Do not take offense if you find that your title has been altered. If we feel a current title will more than likely initiate flames wars, trolling, etc., there is a good chance it might be edited. On the other hand, a 'good' thread title might be shortened or altered to reflect the topic more clearly so that it can be used in a newsletter or other source to encourage more discussion.
Respect the opinions of others
Arguments can’t be won. If you have a contrasting opinion, please state it simply and clearly. If necessary, agree to disagree with others who may have differing opinions. When discussions turn into long, hostile arguments, the thread will be closed or unapproved.
Skater/Coach/ and Member Privacy Policy
Golden Skate respects the privacy of skaters, coaches, and officials in the sport. Golden Skate does not permit or condone undocumented gossip about their personal lives.
Discussions of off-ice behavior, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, health (mental or physical) matters, dating life, etc. should be limited to what has been publicly disclosed by the skater. While speculation is one thing, accusation is another, and is considered slander. Posting personal information pertaining to another member and/or skater that is not official public knowledge is strictly prohibited.
The following is Prohibited:
— Bashing of skaters and/or coaches Everyone has their favorite and not-so-favorite skaters and coaches. Please be constructive with criticism. Excessive, persistent, repetitive, unrelenting and pugnacious denunciation of skaters and coaches are not welcome and such posts will be removed without notice.
— Board Dragging
Do not create posts/threads using links and/or references from other forums or social media that involve fan wars, gossip, and/or excessive negativity.
— Body-shaming and discussing of skaters' physical health/body image While it is reasonable to discuss whether a skater is in optimal physical condition to compete, perform certain elements, etc., we ask that you please refrain from using terms like "fat," "heavy," "chubby," "too skinny," and other terms and phrases that are used to shame or mock the skater.
Discussion about body image or mental and physical health and its role in figure skating is fine, but only in terms of generalities. Furthermore, don't speculate that a skater has an “eating disorder” or other health or mental disorder unless this has been stated officially and/or publicly by the respective skater.
— Calling out other posters Do not create a post and mention a poster's name and/or opinion in a negative manner. If you wish to respond to something a member has posted, simply use the "quote post" feature when replying. Do not try to paraphrase, ridicule, or otherwise mention other members in your post.
— Character assassination This is an intentional attempt to influence the portrayal or reputation of a particular member/skater in such a way as to cause others to develop a negative, unethical, and/or unappealing perception of him or her.
— Complaining to moderators Please bear in mind that moderators work as a team and do not make decisions by themselves. Only posts that are reported through the “Report Post” feature will be reviewed.
— Conspiracy posts Posts that make groundless claims of any sort, be it a skater, a member, or the GS Forum itself, will be removed without notice.
— Crowd-Funding Links Links to fund skaters are to be posted in their respective Fan Fest (FF) thread. If they do not have a FF, feel free to create one. Links to other outlets, organizations, etc. are not permitted.
— Discrimination Posting comments that support or espouse hatred/dislike towards another individual or group based upon any criteria including (nationality/ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, etc. is prohibited.
— Internal cross-posting and double-posting If you are unsure of where to place a post, choose the single most appropriate forum. There is no need to cross-post or duplicate a post to multiple forums. This could result in a removal of the post without notice and/or a warning. The only exception in this case is if a post contains a link to an article. In this case, a copy of the post can be placed in the respective Fan Fest.
— External cross-posting Copy/pasting full posts from forums outside of GS is not allowed. You may, however, provide a brief comment with a link to the post. On the same token, we ask that you do not copy/paste posts from the GS Forums to other forums/message boards. Provide a link instead. Note: Screen captures and/or content that is cross-posted to other external sites with the intent to harass, insult, bully, and/or show ill-will towards posters is not permitted.
— Fan Shaming
Using words like "bots" or "ubers" (with or without) a skater's name to negatively define, call out, or otherwise refer to fans.
— FanFiction We understand that many enjoy FanFiction, however, celebrities, whose names, images, likenesses or personas are used in real person fiction, have the right to assert claims against fanfiction authors based on rights of publicity. To avoid these issues, as well as to protect the integrity of the forum, fanfiction is prohibited.
— Font color and size misuse The use of white or other "lighter" colored fonts, as well as a tiny fonts that are not easily readable are not permitted.
— Going off topic or derailing a thread Stay on topic. While we understand many discussions can lead to others, you can always start a new thread.
— Harassment Persistently ridiculing, calling out, and/or insulting a member in a direct or indirect manner is a form of harassment. This applies to all aspects of the Golden Skate Forums, including "public" threads and private messages, personal profiles, avatars and custom titles.
— Legal Action Using the forums or PMs for encouraging, promoting, endorsing, or inciting any kind of legal action against any member or the forum itself is strictly prohibited.
— Linking to Commercial sites A commercial site is defined as a site which sells products and/or services. Posts containing links to solely promote and/or send traffic to commercial sites are forbidden on Golden Skate with the exception of advertisers, sponsors, and/or partnered sites. Posts containing links will automatically be removed.
— Petitions and Surveys Petitions and surveys are not allowed unless being conducted internally by the GS Forum Staff.
— Policing threads
If you wish to report a post, please do so in a timely manner. Posts that are over two days old and/or where threads have since moved on, will stand unless the staff feels that the topic is derailing said thread, involves discrimination, politics, and/or otherwise espouses extreme hate.
— Politics or posts that are political or religious in nature GS is an international forum and embraces members of all cultures, therefore, it is not the place to discuss politics or religion. We understand there may be times when something "political" happens in the sport of figure skating, and as such, we will determine what is appropriate and/or allowed on the forum on a case-by-case basis.
— Polls Polls can be server intensive and tend to clutter the board, so they will be used minimally by the GS Forum staff only. Members can cast votes but not create polls.
— Proxy posting Posting on behalf of a banned user is not permitted.
— Ranting and/or Pontificating Negative, irate, and/or nonconstructive (usually vague) comments. This is considered a form of trolling since ranting usually results in flame threads with little or no constructive information.
— Signature files Signature files are not enabled on the GS forums as they slow down the time it takes for pages to download. It has also been abused in the past for linking to external sites to peddle services and goods.
— Solicitations, External Linking and/or spamming
Posts with the sole purpose of promoting an external website, seeking money and/or eliciting other actions by our members outside the forum. This includes, but is not limited to, advertisements, quizzes, surveys, fundraisers, etc. This also applies to the usage "text field" of personal profiles.
— Spoilers Please be sensitive to the fact that others do not want to read spoilers. We appreciate that people may want to discuss topics they enjoy, but purposefully attempting to ruin another's enjoyment by posting spoilers is considered malicious intent. Please keep related posts to the appropriate thread(s) located in the Competition Forum.
— Trolling and baiting Trolling is defined as deliberately posting derogatory and/or inflammatory posts in order to bait other users into responding.
— Usernames Do not use a skater's full name (unless you are the skater).
As a guest on our forums, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:
Keep posts constructive. Posts are welcomed and appreciated as long as they are constructive. For example, "So-and-so is a horrible skater!" is not a constructive post. An acceptable post would be "I feel so-and-so could improve their skating if ..."
The best way to get your opinion(s) recognized is not to be abusive or offensive, but to be positive and communicate in a mature fashion. Please post in respective folders. Each forum has a brief description beneath the title. Please avoid posting random and off-topic conversation in the wrong forum as they will be removed without notice.
Avatars
Avatars are the small square graphical images that you see under a poster's username. Once you have 10+ posts, you may upload your own. See our Avatar FAQ for more info. Do not use avatars in conjunction with a skater in order to ridicule or criticize the athlete.
Competition Forums and Season Passes
For many years, the GS Forum has been providing services free of charge. The traffic has inevitably grown and the servers are upgraded as needed. Moving forward, a small fee will be charged to access the Competition Forums in order to help offset the cost of maintaining the forums and paying for the servers. Please refer to this thread for our policy on competition chat. There will be no charge for the competition forums for 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
Copyright Infringement
Do not post photos, entire articles, translations etc. unless you have received permission from the author to do so. If you'd like to share an article from an external news source, forum, etc., just use a few "lead-in" sentences with a link to the original work and credit the source.
Correct spelling of names
Please do not combine, abbreviate, or otherwise change the spelling of a skater or team's name. This includes using a skater's name or part of a skater's name (i.e. in political, geographical, or other context).
COVID-19
Do not discuss COVID-19 unless it's in a brief context that relates to a skater or event. Any post(s) which the GS Staff collectively feels is derailing a thread and/or deems political in nature, opinionated, unscientific, and/or inappropriate, will be removed without notice and may result in a warning.
Fan Fests
The Fan Fest (FF) is a place for fans to celebrate and praise their favorite skaters—not a place to pick apart their technique, skills, etc. As always, be respectful to each other's threads when posting. Keep discussions in the respective threads and do not bring up other skaters with the intent to bash, debate, critique, and/or compare. Keep in mind that even fans of the same skater may hold a diverse array of viewpoints and thoughts.
- Do not bash other skaters or coaches in a FF
- Do not troll or "police" fans in the FF to create discord (report only posts that are breaching GS Forum Guidelines - do not use this function to call on every post that just says things you do not agree with)
- Do not call out or otherwise refer to other posters or fans, directly or indirectly, in a derogatory manner
- Do not use FF as a combat zone for 'fan wars' (using other skaters' names for the sake of continuously arguing with each other)
- Do not create FF threads for skaters under the junior competitive age (13) so that GS is in compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, 15 U.S.C. 6501–6505).
Note: Please do not create threads for skaters until they reach the junior competitive age of 13. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 is a United States federal law (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506) created to protect the privacy of children under 13. This includes posting links to videos and images to children under the age of 13.
Foreign Language posts, comments, custom titles, etc.
Golden Skate welcomes and encourages participation from every corner of the figure skating world. However, GS is an English language forum, so if you include words or phrases in another language, please provide an English translation.
Warnings
Warnings are given when posts and/or behavior are considered unacceptable and/or inappropriate. A warning can consist of one or more points and can have an indefinite expiration date. If a user reaches four or more points (before any warnings expire), they will be temporarily banned. Warnings, along with their points and expiration dates, are decided by the moderators as a team — not as individuals.
When a member is issued a warning, they will receive an alert and/or PM (Conversation) with an explanation. They can also see their warnings in their individual member tab.
The warning system was implemented to help members understand the Guidelines — not to punish. As the Terms of Service states: “We may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice.”
Language
The GS Forum is rated "Teen" and is therefore censored for language. Any attempt to circumvent the language filter will not be tolerated.
Linking to News sites
Links to established news sites are permitted. Examples are: ESPN, CNN, Eurosport, as well as figure skating organizations such as the ISU, Skate Canada, USFS, Russian Skating Federation etc. Posts with links to sites that the staff feels are tabloid in nature will be removed without notice.
Linking to Personal sites, blogs, channels, etc.
If you have an article or interview that is skating-related which you would like to share on Golden Skate, please do so in the Share It! forum unless you are going to post the entire interview, in which case, can be done in the Edge. If posting in the Share It! forum, we ask in return that you please put a reciprocal link to Golden Skate (https://www.goldenskate.com) somewhere on your site. Do not abuse this privilege by cluttering threads with links to event/competition reports, materials for personal profit (i.e. DVDs, books), and/or other site updates. Bottom line, do not use Golden Skate as a vehicle to promote your site.
Post reporting
The GS Forums strive to keep a fun, informative and interesting place for lively discussion. If you see a post that offends you personally, it doesn't mean that the post itself has necessarily violated any guidelines. There will always be posters who are less sensitive than others. Also keep in mind that there are language and cultural differences on the forum due to a wonderful array of members from all over the world.
Before reporting a post, we ask that you review the guidelines herein to ensure that the said post is indeed in violation of a rule(s). Do not post to (or address a thread) before you report it. You may end up finding yourself in violation with your own response!
While the staff does not respond directly to the individual who reports a post, please be assured that we will review each and every one and take action if and as needed. In addition, the staff is not required to explain their decision(s) to the reporting individual or poster in question. However, if and when a poster receives a warning or infraction, they are notified of the reason by PM. Warnings and Infractions are hidden from public view.
Do not abuse the Report Post feature by repeatedly reporting posts in a small time-frame and/or reporting posts that are over a week old.
Post/Thread editing
Part of the moderators responsibilities are to scan thread titles for possible editing for quality assurance, misspellings, etc. Do not take offense if you find that your title has been altered. If we feel a current title will more than likely initiate flames wars, trolling, etc., there is a good chance it might be edited. On the other hand, a 'good' thread title might be shortened or altered to reflect the topic more clearly so that it can be used in a newsletter or other source to encourage more discussion.
Respect the opinions of others
Arguments can’t be won. If you have a contrasting opinion, please state it simply and clearly. If necessary, agree to disagree with others who may have differing opinions. When discussions turn into long, hostile arguments, the thread will be closed or unapproved.
Skater/Coach/ and Member Privacy Policy
Golden Skate respects the privacy of skaters, coaches, and officials in the sport. Golden Skate does not permit or condone undocumented gossip about their personal lives.
Discussions of off-ice behavior, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, health (mental or physical) matters, dating life, etc. should be limited to what has been publicly disclosed by the skater. While speculation is one thing, accusation is another, and is considered slander. Posting personal information pertaining to another member and/or skater that is not official public knowledge is strictly prohibited.
The following is Prohibited:
— Bashing of skaters and/or coaches Everyone has their favorite and not-so-favorite skaters and coaches. Please be constructive with criticism. Excessive, persistent, repetitive, unrelenting and pugnacious denunciation of skaters and coaches are not welcome and such posts will be removed without notice.
— Board Dragging
Do not create posts/threads using links and/or references from other forums or social media that involve fan wars, gossip, and/or excessive negativity.
— Body-shaming and discussing of skaters' physical health/body image While it is reasonable to discuss whether a skater is in optimal physical condition to compete, perform certain elements, etc., we ask that you please refrain from using terms like "fat," "heavy," "chubby," "too skinny," and other terms and phrases that are used to shame or mock the skater.
Discussion about body image or mental and physical health and its role in figure skating is fine, but only in terms of generalities. Furthermore, don't speculate that a skater has an “eating disorder” or other health or mental disorder unless this has been stated officially and/or publicly by the respective skater.
— Calling out other posters Do not create a post and mention a poster's name and/or opinion in a negative manner. If you wish to respond to something a member has posted, simply use the "quote post" feature when replying. Do not try to paraphrase, ridicule, or otherwise mention other members in your post.
— Character assassination This is an intentional attempt to influence the portrayal or reputation of a particular member/skater in such a way as to cause others to develop a negative, unethical, and/or unappealing perception of him or her.
— Complaining to moderators Please bear in mind that moderators work as a team and do not make decisions by themselves. Only posts that are reported through the “Report Post” feature will be reviewed.
— Conspiracy posts Posts that make groundless claims of any sort, be it a skater, a member, or the GS Forum itself, will be removed without notice.
— Crowd-Funding Links Links to fund skaters are to be posted in their respective Fan Fest (FF) thread. If they do not have a FF, feel free to create one. Links to other outlets, organizations, etc. are not permitted.
— Discrimination Posting comments that support or espouse hatred/dislike towards another individual or group based upon any criteria including (nationality/ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, etc. is prohibited.
— Internal cross-posting and double-posting If you are unsure of where to place a post, choose the single most appropriate forum. There is no need to cross-post or duplicate a post to multiple forums. This could result in a removal of the post without notice and/or a warning. The only exception in this case is if a post contains a link to an article. In this case, a copy of the post can be placed in the respective Fan Fest.
— External cross-posting Copy/pasting full posts from forums outside of GS is not allowed. You may, however, provide a brief comment with a link to the post. On the same token, we ask that you do not copy/paste posts from the GS Forums to other forums/message boards. Provide a link instead. Note: Screen captures and/or content that is cross-posted to other external sites with the intent to harass, insult, bully, and/or show ill-will towards posters is not permitted.
— Fan Shaming
Using words like "bots" or "ubers" (with or without) a skater's name to negatively define, call out, or otherwise refer to fans.
— FanFiction We understand that many enjoy FanFiction, however, celebrities, whose names, images, likenesses or personas are used in real person fiction, have the right to assert claims against fanfiction authors based on rights of publicity. To avoid these issues, as well as to protect the integrity of the forum, fanfiction is prohibited.
— Font color and size misuse The use of white or other "lighter" colored fonts, as well as a tiny fonts that are not easily readable are not permitted.
— Going off topic or derailing a thread Stay on topic. While we understand many discussions can lead to others, you can always start a new thread.
— Harassment Persistently ridiculing, calling out, and/or insulting a member in a direct or indirect manner is a form of harassment. This applies to all aspects of the Golden Skate Forums, including "public" threads and private messages, personal profiles, avatars and custom titles.
— Legal Action Using the forums or PMs for encouraging, promoting, endorsing, or inciting any kind of legal action against any member or the forum itself is strictly prohibited.
— Linking to Commercial sites A commercial site is defined as a site which sells products and/or services. Posts containing links to solely promote and/or send traffic to commercial sites are forbidden on Golden Skate with the exception of advertisers, sponsors, and/or partnered sites. Posts containing links will automatically be removed.
— Petitions and Surveys Petitions and surveys are not allowed unless being conducted internally by the GS Forum Staff.
— Policing threads
If you wish to report a post, please do so in a timely manner. Posts that are over two days old and/or where threads have since moved on, will stand unless the staff feels that the topic is derailing said thread, involves discrimination, politics, and/or otherwise espouses extreme hate.
— Politics or posts that are political or religious in nature GS is an international forum and embraces members of all cultures, therefore, it is not the place to discuss politics or religion. We understand there may be times when something "political" happens in the sport of figure skating, and as such, we will determine what is appropriate and/or allowed on the forum on a case-by-case basis.
— Polls Polls can be server intensive and tend to clutter the board, so they will be used minimally by the GS Forum staff only. Members can cast votes but not create polls.
— Proxy posting Posting on behalf of a banned user is not permitted.
— Ranting and/or Pontificating Negative, irate, and/or nonconstructive (usually vague) comments. This is considered a form of trolling since ranting usually results in flame threads with little or no constructive information.
— Signature files Signature files are not enabled on the GS forums as they slow down the time it takes for pages to download. It has also been abused in the past for linking to external sites to peddle services and goods.
— Solicitations, External Linking and/or spamming
Posts with the sole purpose of promoting an external website, seeking money and/or eliciting other actions by our members outside the forum. This includes, but is not limited to, advertisements, quizzes, surveys, fundraisers, etc. This also applies to the usage "text field" of personal profiles.
— Spoilers Please be sensitive to the fact that others do not want to read spoilers. We appreciate that people may want to discuss topics they enjoy, but purposefully attempting to ruin another's enjoyment by posting spoilers is considered malicious intent. Please keep related posts to the appropriate thread(s) located in the Competition Forum.
— Trolling and baiting Trolling is defined as deliberately posting derogatory and/or inflammatory posts in order to bait other users into responding.
— Usernames Do not use a skater's full name (unless you are the skater).