ya, i have 501 points this week. please reinstate my top contributor status in botany and garden & l/s. thanks?

"A "Top Contributor" is a member of the Yahoo Answers community who has shown that they are knowledgeable in a certain category. Each user can be a top contributor in a maximum three categories.

You earn it or lose it depending on your recent participation in a certain section.

The more positively you contribute, the more chance there is that you will get a TC badge. Just like featured users or category leaders, it's another way to give credit to community members."

The TC badge is awarded on the number of questions answered and best answers received by the user in a particular week, in a particular category.

It is rumoured that you need at least a 10 percent best answers in your chosen category to get a TC badge although the actual percentage and the number of answers is Yahoo's secret.

All you see and read on the subject is speculation, rumour, assumption and guesswork.

A user who is on the leader board may or may not have a TC badge, the criteria is measured on weekly participation in a particular category (number of answers and % of best answers in the category).

The easiest way to get a TC badge is to concentrate on one category where many questions are asked and hope to get some best answers.

The Polls and Surveys and Jokes and Riddles categories do not have Top Contributors.

If you have contributed enough to meet Yahoo's criteria, the orange badge will appear below your avatar on Monday morning.

It can disappear just as easily on Monday morning, if you don't keep answering questions in your chosen category.

And your question is?

by the way... having 501 points DOES NOT give you TC Badge.

You become a Top Contributor by answering a lot of questions and get a HIGH PERCENTAGE of Best Answers in a particular category

While the exact formula for getting a TC badge is Y!A secret. it's a general belief that to get a TC badge you need to have at least 10% or more Best Answer overall first - then, IF you also have over 10% BA in a particular category, you will get a TC badge.

It means that, even if you have 10% BA say - for example, in botany and garden category, but your overall percentage is not as high (because you also answered questions in other categories as well) then you would NOT get a TC badge

Hope this helps.

JUST KEEP ANSWERING...... you will get there!

Cheers