Does having a Top Contributor badge mean it was honestly "earned" with great answers..?

and knowledge in the area the badge was received?
Does quantity also equal quality?
Do you expect good and insightful answers from Top Contributors?

2010-09-07T10:21:53Z

There are a lot of good answers here. I know many TCs that are worthy of that badge. There are still enough of them that never should have gotten one. Someone feeding them questions and best answers doesn't make them a great contributor. Yahoo hasn't figured that part out, I guess.
When I first started Yahoo, I saw a TC treating others like total crap and it upset me. I thought TCs were here to lead the way, show how it's done, give decent and respectful answers... nobody else seemed to think it was so bad to have a bad TC. I guess they'd been here longer and knew how it goes.
I see TCs with badges and their questions and answers surely show they didn't really earn the badge, just appropriated it. Maybe it makes some feel important.. I don't know. I just never saw cheating as a way to feel good about something.
To those TCs who try and do a great job.... you are appreciated. Many times, I have learned from many of you. Thank you.

Ja'aj };>2010-09-07T10:05:10Z

Favorite Answer

Heh! :)
Well... a TC Badge is awarded for participation
and CONTRIBUTION... meaning that the TC spends
a great deal of TIME in that category.

Hopefully, that means that they do that because they know
something about the topics in that section and feel they
can be helpful to the questioners there

Realistically, (alleged 'criteria' aside) it means
QUANTITY, not quality.

Many of the TC's are knowledgeable
and "here to help". YOU are, for instance.

(Once upon a time I had a couple of them )
I have some experience in this area. ;D
My experience is that when the numbers added up -
the Badge magically appeared.
When the numbers DROP , the Badge magically goes away.

So.... what do you think? ;)
It doesn't appear to be QUALITY that awards the badge,
does it ?
And then - we have the "TC" whose only "contribution" consists of
following someone else around; giving less-than-stellar replies and
being foolish and irritating to the others who observe this ... 'contribution'.

THAT ONE is definitely QUANTITY; not quality.
Here, answering this question, are a group of people
(many with TC Badges) who's partcipation I'm familiar with
and they fit the criteria of knowledgeable and "here to help"
with or without a TC Badge. That's the "point", isn't it ?
Yes it is. };>

Anonymous2010-09-07T23:22:10Z

i am giving lot of questions and answers but i never got TC badge. i am now a sanyasi regaring TC badge. chi..chi..indha pazham pulikkum. Anyway, i will try to get a TC badge in any category except Religious category. The religious category contains more politics than religious and hence it is better to choose a politics category, hhaaa.hhhaa a real politics. Anyway whether quality is there or not quantity is there. The yahoo should see whether the TC members are really worth awarding. Because a member earning merely 10 or 15 best answers, a badge is given...bad badge.

Then, what is top contributor ? yahoo answers. This is the answer.

'' A Top Contributor is a member of the Answers community who has shown that they are knowledgeable in a particular category. Each Answers user can be a top contributor in up to three categories.
The top contributor badge is dynamic —you earn it or lose it depending on your recent participation in a particular category. The more actively you contribute, the more likely you will earn a badge. Just like featured users or category leaders, it's another way to feature community members who might otherwise be overlooked. ''

Ref: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/answers/network/contributor.html

so, the yahoo did not bother whether the answer is good or bad, meaningful or meaningless but '' The top contributor badge is dynamic —you earn it or lose it depending on your recent participation in a particular category. The more actively you contribute, the more likely you will earn a badge''.
so, lakhs and lakhs of members getting it while contributing and loosing it while not contributing it. Thats all. Matter over. why we have to see others ? Those who actively participate in a particular category will get it. if not participating, then loose it. About myself, i did not contribute to a particular category, so i did not get it. If anyone want the TC badge may contribute more and get it. what is the use of pointing others when rule is there.

@Asker, there will be no question whether they earned honestly or not honestly with great answers. The yahoo did not see whether it is a great answer or ordinary answer, a long answer or a short answer, meaningful answer or meaningless answer, but the badge will be awarded only on temporary basis based on the contribution to a particular category. All are expecting good and insightful answers from all including Top contributors. Here as i said above quantity takes place than quality. For example, an answer is given by a particular member to a question. No other answer received and the single answer alone stands for resolving. The single answer gets BA award from the asker or voting. suppose the said member gets such single BA more than 15 questions, that single member is going to get TC badge. This is the proceedure adopted by the yahoo.

@Asker, i find a good answer from the member Geyamala. the member gives super example. i like the answer and i recorded here for my use if any any questions come like this in future. i am standing in the Q. my legs paining. so, i will surely get the FIRST '' best all rounder badge '' if yahoo consider.

SHIVA2010-09-07T22:48:26Z

Tc badge means top contributor now what is dis-honest about it ...it is earned honestly or dishonestly it depends on yahoo to decide , and till now yahoo have never declared that some Tc badge are earned by making multiple ids ,by questioning and answering own questions and then giving best answer to self .

Tc badges are important for only those who are taking this forum as a place to show their supremacy other wise most of the users are not worried about TC badge because it comes and go .

Many users are here for long still they do not have this permanent badge but that doesnt mean they are fool ....they come here to learn with fun and are happy .

?2016-06-01T07:46:26Z

Actually, it's lasted a full 2 days. WOWer. That's truly whaktastic. <--Ask Billet. Anyway, whoever stole your badge stole mine. And I am not happy. I mean, I'm such a great contributor to this website, especially the B&A section! But am I a TOP contributor? Apparently Y!A doesn't think so. Well, Y!A, you can eat dirt. Or spleen. Which apparently is tasty. @ck1: CK1 YOU'RE BACK YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH WE'VE MISSED YOU I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW and now I'm going to stop typing in caps, if you don't mind, because it looks really annoying, I've decided. I'm so glad you're back :D --Also, I'm so glad you read and liked HMC! I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't like HMC, though. It's such a great book. It's adorable.

?2010-09-07T19:18:02Z

Rulings, as those of man, are never absolute. There are always "exceptions". I believe the 'TC Badge' (just as Ja'aj braved) is more of "quantity for quantity". Not all who got them were "honestly earned" (Ja'aj has every detail *lol*). I "once" had it "unexpectedly" when I got into Level 2 (with a good 'number' of BA's). Surprised that I could just have it that short time. But I just took it very lightly....ALTHOUGH I noticed that some people began to seem envious and agitated about it (they started questioning me like I was one of Y/A "generous staff"?*lol*) More and more 'strange users' ridiculed and commented harshly after that. Till one day I woke up and I was 'CLEARED' of that TC badge --- along with the 'nightmare' that came with it. (*sigh of relief*)

Despite all the bogus, I still see some well deserved TC holders who, I believe, "never cheated" to the top --- "you", as a good example, and some of my friends out there (*waves with a smile*). My message to the best TC's: JUST BEAT IT!

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