Cheaters on Yahoo Answers Camping?

Well as always there are those that think their $%&# walks on water and behave like trolls with multiple accounts and vote themselves into stardom. Being a great contributor is just that giving quality over quantity, getting a top contributor doesn't happen over night. You do a great job I think personally, we don't always agree with each other but that's what keeps this forum great a diversity of opinions. Keep up the faith and ignore the trolls they get tired and eventually go away. I would not be surprised if this question gets reported as a rant by them and I get a ton of thumbs down. Again hang loose and keep on contributing!

That is kinda lame that someone would want a bunch of votes on here. I never really catch on to it though. I don't pay enough attention. Lot's of questions asked I won't even answer because they've already got great answers in my opinion. There are times that I think I make a good point, but more often then not, I still have pretty inexperienced answers. Some of the "best answers" I got, I don't think I should have gotten, but it's sorta a nice feeling knowing that people voted for you. And it is much nicer when the Asker votes for you, by far. Someone mentioned that only the Asker should choose anyway, and I can agree with that. It would keep a lot of the people from making ghost accounts just to vote for themselves. And really, when people do that, and someone searches on Yahoo! for a topic and this forum shows up, they could take that phony answer as the actual "best answer," then do something stupid, but maybe not. I guess if this is all the life they have is to make a name for themselves on Yahoo! Answers, let them have no life. You're certainly one of the ones that I respect on here because you've shown exceptional knowledge in Outdoorsmanship. Though I don't know you personally, you seem to be a smart dude. And of course a few of the others like Chris and MountainMan and c_kayak_fun. I love hearing your opinions and learning from them. Don't worry about the loosers that sit around and never set foot outdoors. They'll get bored with it and disappear from here. Keep doing what you do!

I never bother worrying about whether an answer is popular or not. I often criticize the direction that a person goes with an inquiry and try to give corrective responses where needed. I skip questions at times because they sound "troll-ish" and do not care if my authoritative "best answer" rate drops. I am bewildered that the camping category suddenly became interesting enough to see the vote numbers increasing. If the answers are really helping a few people out there in Yahoo! land, then that is all that matters. I have not been gathering statistics on whether any "expert" is dramatically rising in fame. I once had a law professor tell me that the reason academic professionals fight so hard is the stakes are so low. I enjoy the diversity of thought on Yahoo! Answers and continue participating in my spare time because I learn quite a bit and have actually purchased some outdoor gear based on research to inquiries. One of my fears is spending too much of my money on new equipment because I spend so much time studying the reviews of products!

Ideally, all questions in Yahoo Answers, not just in the camping section, should have a Best Answer chosen by the Asker, NOT by voters. Personally, I consider it rude and lazy for an asker to let it go to a vote if there really is one answer that helped them more than the others. I can understand if someone really does feel that several answers are tied, or they are confused by the variety of answers, they may want to let the voters decide, but Yahoo has clearly set up the system with the intent that the asker is the primary judge of which answer is the best one for the question asked.

I don't ask a whole lot of questions, but when I ask, I make sure to take the time to choose a Best Answer. When I answer, I'm not ashamed to say that if I think my answer deserves to be in the running for Best, I will cast my vote for it. (If I see other answers that I think are better, I don't vote for myself. Interestingly, I've sometimes still been voted Best by others.) I sort of go on the principle that the same strategy is available to us all, and if everyone casts one vote for their own, it will all even out.

However, I don't create sock puppet accounts to cast multiple votes for my own answers. That would just be silly, and it doesn't really achieve anything.

I think you may be "seeing things that aren't there". As a frequent answerer in the category I have not noticed the large number of votes you are reporting (though I have noticed an increase in questionable "thumbs down" votes in some categories.) I get a lot of "best answer" votes myself but most are either the question poster choosing my answer or my answer being the only one. One flaw in Yahoo Answers that I am aware of is that participants can vote that their OWN answer is the "best", though the site will not allow multiple votes of this type.

Frankly, none of this concerns me. Like you, I answer questions to help people and really don't care whether they are voted for or not. I do vote for other people's good answers when I see them in hopes that that the most useful answers will be archived. In fact, even if I see a better answer than my own to a question I will give it my vote and/or a "thumbs up".

Don't really pay any attention, I don't vote on the answers. A couple of weeks ago there was about 4 or 5 questions going back a long time all of a sudden received 1 vote and were resolved on the same day.

Never occurred to me there would be a way to cheat or that anyone would want to.

It's unfortunate that after numerous people give educated or their opinionated answers, good or bad, the the asker doesn't have the courtesy to at least pick a best answer. How can anyone cheat ? I don't understand that.

i'm curious...and I know i'm probably not going to like the backlash...but i'm a big girl and will get over it.

my question is...why does it matter?