How badges work
Badges mark verified identity, recognised expertise, official accounts, and exceptional contribution.
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A badge is a small marker next to someone's name. Unlike reputation, badges are not earned by accumulating points — most are granted by the GOLE Network team.
The badges
- Verified — we have confirmed this person is who they say they are. It says nothing about the quality of their contributions.
- Expert — recognised knowledge in a particular field, granted after review.
- Official — the account represents an organisation, institution, or programme, and is authorised to speak for it.
- Elite — awarded for exceptional, sustained contribution to the platform.
- Moderator — shown inside a community whose moderation team this person is on. It is scoped to that community: someone who moderates one community carries no badge in any other.
Why badges matter
On a platform where people ask about visas, health, money, and study, it matters whether the person answering is who they claim to be. A badge is a shortcut for that judgement — which is exactly why they are granted carefully rather than automatically.
Getting one
Verified, Expert, and Official can be requested. Contact us with:
- Who you are, and the account username.
- For Verified: something connecting you to the identity you are claiming.
- For Expert: the field, and evidence of your standing in it — qualifications, published work, or a professional record.
- For Official: proof you are authorised to represent the organisation.
Moderator reflects a role rather than an achievement, and appears automatically for the people who hold it. Elite is awarded by the team and cannot be applied for.
Nobody will ever ask you for your password
A badge tells you an account has been checked. It does not make anything that account says safe to act on, and it is worth knowing what a real one will never do:
- GOLE Network staff will never ask for your password, a verification code, or a payment. Anyone who does is not staff, whatever their profile shows.
- Badges appear next to a name in the interface. They cannot be put in a display name, a bio, or a profile picture — if the only "badge" you can see is inside text someone typed, it is not a badge.
- If someone claims to represent GOLE Network and something feels wrong, report them and check with us through the contact page rather than replying to them.
Badges can be removed
A badge reflects something that was true when it was granted. If the situation changes — or if it is used to mislead — it can be withdrawn.
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