Awesome! A fellow Rumpel fan! *High Five* 
Thank you for the warm welcome too.
At first, I felt like a freak for liking Rumpelsitlskin so much, but I see a lot of people are also big fans of his too, so I don’t feel so lonely anymore.
And to answer one of the questions from the OP, Rumpelstiltskin is technically evil. This has been demonstrated through various examples of murder, violence and manipulation. But at the same time, he is a necessary evil. In both worlds, the “good guys” continuously seek Rumpel/Gold’s assistance. Even Emma is asking for his help. So, the characters are hypocrites in a way. They critcize Rumpel/Gold’s actions and tactics, but when they find themselves in a sticky situation, they abandon their own moral standards, disregard their previous negative opinions of him, and seek his help. It’s very strange.
And to be honest, most of Rumpel’s “evilness” comes from him being the Dark One. Before he became the Dark One, Rumpel was a good man. A cowards? Sure. But a decent man nonetheless. So, I think the curse of the Dark One poisoned him.