How do you become a "Top Contributor" here on Yahoo Answers?

The Top Contributor badge is definitely a measure of RECENT participation (within the last 1 to 3 weeks).

You can hold Top Contributor badges in up to 3 lowest-level categories at once (except ''Polls & Surveys'' and ' Jokes & Riddles''). Badges come and go on Monday mornings. Yahoo keeps the formula secret, and it's subject to change at any moment. It probably also varies from category to category. Experienced users have formed guesses, but they're just GUESSES.

You probably need around:

» 30-50 answers per week in the category.

» At least 20 ''best answers'' in the category within the last 3 weeks.

» 200 or more total points per week (including all answers, Best Answers, votes, and "thumbs up") in the category.

» At least a 10% best answers in your chosen category.

If your level of participation falls, you will likely lose your badge. Concentrate on participating regularly and giving high-quality answers in just a few categories to earn or keep a badge.

Good luck.

Top Contributor badge is given for regularity of participation to a certain extent. This is to inspire answerers to remain attached to Y!A which Yahoo is doing for their own interest. I hate this system of TC Badge which differentiates between the answerers. Many good answerers are answering only challenging questions and hence have no TC Badge, but are much better in their answers. Edit: Comments on your remarks: Should a teacher give less marks to a brilliant student just because he already has the highest marks in the class ? Should a cricket umpire give a batsman out lbw against a false appeal considering that having scored a century, he has enough runs ? In math and science category, BA is the correct and simplest answer and is easy to decide. But in the type of questions you ask, BA is not the one liked by most readers, but one that satisfies the asker and asker's prerogative has got to be respected.

It's NOT a stupid question!

Yahoo Answers doesn't tell us what, exactly, is the "secret formula" for obtaining the TC badge, but I can give you some advice on how to get one, if you want one:

PICK a subcategory (ex. Yahoo Mail) ... not just a wide category (ex. Yahoo Products) that you feel you are knowledgeable about ...

CONCENTRATE on answering questions in that subsection.

ANSWER at least a few questions in that section each day, or a handful every few days. Shoot for at least 45 questions answered each month.

ACHIEVE and MAINTAIN a Best-Answer rating of at least 10% in your chosen subsection.

If you do what I've described, within a few weeks you will have a Top Contributor badge. In order to KEEP the badge you must maintain the same (or higher) level of participation in your TC category. If your level of participation or your BA rating decreases significantly, you can lose the TC badge.

you have to have a lot of best answers in a category in a certain time frame.you can have best contributor in up to 3 categories. this is the barest way to explain it.if you want more details at the top of each page where it says search for question just type in "how to become top contributor"

From what I know, the only way you can receive a "Top Contributor" badge is by getting a certain "Best Answers" percentage.

I do not know what that percentage is, however.

you have to specialize in a category your good at and stay there.

once you get enough best answers and answers there the give it to you.

yahoo does not tell them what you have to do so thats my best advice is to stick in one category that you can get a high best answer %

oh all u have to do is get to the last spot or u have to answear or ask a bunch of ?s in that catorgorie

earlier actually, i read you have to be knowledgeable in 3 dif categories

i suggest you pick one category and stay there.

answer as many questions as possible.

heck, just type "cool question" for every one you can.

your points will increase...get up to around 5.000 an you'll be golden.

get to work! good luck :)

quit your day job... copy/paste answers from wikipedia and don't site the source...

things like that.