This sticky summarizes how Gothic.Black treats reports, evidence, and discussion. Full policy pages on the site are the detailed record; if anything conflicts, the published site policies (with version date) win.
What this place is
Gothic.Black maintains a permanent archive of paranormal reports, historical mysteries, folklore, witness testimony, and related research. Publication means a report was considered appropriate for documentation. It does not mean Gothic.Black has proven a paranormal explanation.
Core principles
• Preserve the account — Prefer the witness’s own words. Staff may fix formatting, remove malicious content, and redact for privacy. Staff will not silently rewrite a statement to make it more dramatic or “more paranormal.”
• Separate claim from fact — Documented fact, witness report, secondhand account, historical tradition, interpretation, and unverified claim are different things. We label them that way when we can.
• Attribute sources — Say where information came from whenever practical and consistent with privacy promises.
• Minimize harm — Curiosity does not automatically outweigh someone’s privacy or safety.
• Correct the record — Meaningful corrections, rating changes, and status changes should be visible, not quietly erased because they weaken a favorite theory.
The case file vs this forum
• The case page is the curated archival record.
• The linked forum topic is community discussion.
• Forum posts are not automatically verified or adopted as archive evidence.
Suggested topic disclaimer (for case threads)
“This topic is the community discussion for the linked Gothic.Black case. The official case file remains the maintained archival record. Claims and theories posted here have not necessarily been verified or adopted by Gothic.Black.”
Evidence and AI (short form)
Photos, video, audio, and documents should be labeled honestly when staff publish them (original, cropped, enhanced, illustrative, AI-generated, origin unverified, etc.). AI, recreations, and enhancements must never be presented as original witness evidence. Having a file is not the same as having the right to publish it.
Privacy and interviews (short form)
Public anonymity is allowed (display name, first name, initials, Anonymous Witness, etc.). Staff contact info stays private. We do not reveal confidential identities without permission except where legally required. Interviews need clear permission for what may be used (site, livestream, podcast, clips, permanent case file).
Corrections and case status (short form)
We accept factual corrections, source challenges, privacy concerns, evidence updates, and retraction requests. Substantive corrections should be dated and explained on the case. Statuses such as Open, Active, Archived, Resolved, Historic, Disputed, Retracted, Hoax documented, and Misidentification documented describe the state of the record — not a scoreboard of belief.
Submissions (short form)
Submitting a report does not guarantee publication. Staff may ask questions, redact, hold privately, decline, or attach material to an existing case. Accusations against identifiable people get heightened review. Gothic.Black is not an emergency or professional advice service.
Commercial independence
Ghost tours, tarot, memberships, sponsors, or ads must not buy case acceptance, ratings, status, or softer treatment of a witness. Material connections should be disclosed when readers would reasonably care.
Where to read the full policies
•
Editorial and Verification Policy •
Evidence and AI Labeling Guide •
Source, Privacy, and Interview Policy •
Corrections, Retractions, and Case Status Policy •
Submission and Publication Policy How to request a correction
Use the site Contact form with category Correction Request, or use the correction link on the case page when available.
Version note
Forum sticky summary — aligned with Gothic.Black policy v1.0 (September 2026). Site policy pages with version/date are authoritative.
Edited by user
16 days ago
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Reason: Not specified