what is the point of rating peoples answers and questions?

IF they sustain the answer as a Best Answer, every thumbs up is an extra point for them

It's just interesting to see answers with lots of thumbs up or thumbs down. Questions that are interesting should get more attention than other questions. I think Yahoo looks at those questions.

If this answer got 7 thumbs up and was voted best answer, then I would get 17 points for it instead of 10 points for it.

It is how much that person helped you, if they didn't really help you a lot then you're meant to put a thumbs down, and if they fully answered your question, you can put a thumbs up, (1 point for them per thumbs up) and comment saying

"Thanks! Really helped me!"

Or

"Hmm, not quite what I was looking for."

Here are the basic "5-star" rating meanings:

* - Didn't help me a lot

** - Hmm, I suppose it was OK

*** - Didn't answer all of my question

**** - Pretty good! Helped me

***** - Wow! There is nothing more I could ask for here.

I think it gives them a better reputation on Yahoo! Answers, if you saw all their questions with one star you'd think, "They're not the person to ask if I need help", and basically if you see them with a 5 star you might think that they are a lot of help to everyone here.

An "Interesting Question" is basically if it interests you and maybe gives you some facts or information that is very helpful to you and interesting. It's basically what is sounds like, an interesting question, and giving them a vote means some of their answers are interesting you.

All of that information I am not 100% on. Maybe around 90%.

Thumbs only really matter in point terms anyway to the best answerer, as they count as an extra point for each thumb up, up to 50 additional point can be gained that way, but only the BA gets thumbs transferred into points.

Rating is basically totally pointless (so to speak). Thumbs up points are given if an answer with them is chosen as Best Answer, but the whole concept of thumbs up and down should be eliminated.

Since the 'thumbs' issue has been properly answered, I'll get the 2nd part of your question -- stars. Stars indicate someone liked the question. They alert the clicker’s fans of the question, so they might also answer. They can push a question to the POPULAR tab on the Home page. A LOT of stars alerts the staff to review it, for "Featured Question" or "Best of Answers. Here is the blog that explains it in detail:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-d8pH0dcoRKeB12yOcnU...

Because it means it's a good answer as compared to crap answers. There are some answers that deserve thumbs up and other that deserve thumbs down.

there is no point just for something to do

why do people on here have over 100,000 points cause they have no life

stop being so jealous and give credit to others.

i dont think it really does anything?