How To Become a Top Contributor on Yahoo Answers?

To become a TC ( Top Contributor), there are 4 steps;

1) Choose a category-

You need to choose a particular category about which, you know a lot, you can answer any type of questions in that particular category.(i.e. if you are good in science, then you can select this category for your contribution)

2) Answer a lot of questions-

This is actually self explanatory. In the first step, you chose your favorite category, now you have to answer a lot of questions in that category

3) Best answer accumulation-

Answering a lot of questions in the particular category DOES NOT mean that you can answer a question with only a word/a line. Your answer should be knowledgeable and informative. Your answer should be accurate, suitable and helpful. If someone asks a question, he or she expects a suitable answer to it. If your answer is the best among other answers, it will be given ''the best answer (BA)''... In that way, you have to collect many BAs. The trick about becoming a TC all depends on the amount of BA you receive within a single week. Like, if you have answered 20 questions per week and you get 50%+ BAs that is, 11 or more BAs, then you will probably become a TC in that particular week.

4) Regularity/Active contribution

This does not mean one has to answer a lot of questions every day; it simply means to show up the good work. For example: I only answer 20-30 questions per week or may be more(sometimes) but I still manage to retain my TC badge without having to worry about losing it. That is right, I only answer 1 to 5 questions daily, and sometimes I do not answer any questions for 4 days straight.

Please see(PS): try to accumulate 200+ points weekly in a particular category. This means you can answer 30 questions, which would be 60 points, and receive BA’s to make it up to 200+ points.

Note you gain 10 points for each BA, and an additional 1 point for each thumb up on your answer selected as the best.

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THINGS ONE SHOULD KNOW:

-The Yahoo! Staffs keep the TC formula confidential because Users would misuse the main purpose of being a TC. For example: A TC is supposed to be a knowledgeable individual in a particular category, and if Users find out what it exactly takes to become a TC, they would start becoming a TC unfairly. So this is the significant reason the Staffs keep the formula on how to become a TC confidential. Nevertheless, very few Users (particularly TC’s) know exactly what it takes to become a TC in a single week. I think I am really close, or exact.

-Users can become a TC in up to 3 categories simultaneously.(It was 4 before this new system)

-The TC badge is not permanent. You gain it and lose it, depending on your recent contribution within the category(s) of your choice.

-Users who are qualified for the TC badge will receive their badge on Monday morning, and once Users are given the TC badge, it takes exactly 3 weeks for the badge to be taken away if requirements are not met.

-Two categories DO NOT provide a TC badge because categories like those do not require knowledge sharing contribution, they are only for entertainment. These categories are: POLLS AND SURVEYS and JOKES AND RIDDLES.

I hope I served you well.

Top Contributor is somebody who answers frequently in a particular category or categories (up to 3) and achieves a minimum Best Answer percentage with those answers. There are no extra privileges in being a TC.

While the exact formula to earn a TC badge is a Yahoo! secret, it is known that in order to earn one you need to answer a minimum number of questions over a few weeks in a particular category (perhaps 30+ weekly, and Polls & Surveys and Jokes & Riddles are not eligible categories) and get a minimum BA% on those answers (roughly 12%+). Categories which are not very busy will require fewer answers to earn the badge than one that is popular.

Once a TC badge is earned, you will need to maintain the same minimum level of answering or you will probably lose your badge within 1-4 weeks.

You get the TC badge for the categories (subcategories) not the general category. The TC badge is a measure of recent participation on YA. Badges come and go with each new Monday. Yahoo keeps the formula secret (so they can change it if needed). The best guess based on experience of long time users is that you need:

200 or more total points per week

30-50 answers per week in a single category

20 or more BAs in the category within the last 3 weeks (10-15% most people think)

If your level of participation falls below the target levels, you lose your badge. Then you have to earn it back. There are no TC badges for the P&S and Jokes categories.

It's really no big deal. Yahoo has a secret complicated formula involving percentages and best answers to arrive at how someone receives the designation. There are lots of rumours as to what that percentage is but in fact, only YA knows for sure and they aren't telling. One Monday, the day of updating you log in and surprise you are a TC. The best way to earn it is to concentrate on answering in up to three categories where you might have some knowledge. if you don't keep your percentage up you can lose the designation. "Polls and surveys" and "jokes and riddles" don't offer the designation. There are no special privileges. In reality having the designation can sometimes be a problem since there are trolls out there who constantly look for violations or perceived violations by TCs to report their posts.

http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&id=SLN...

It's not just about % but about % per week over a period of time. The actual formula is known only to Yahoo. It is a volatile badge and having obtained it we can lose it by not maintaining the standard.

Your account level and best answer percentage does not or has very little to do with granting some one a Top Contributor badge.You have to answer a lot of questions in a particular category over a three week to two month period. Yahoo calculates the statistics for Top contributor on rotating basis every three weeks in a particular sub category of YA. When I started with this email account, it took me only four weeks to regain my top contributor badge in astronomy and space. I was level 3 and 95 best answer percentage when I regained my top contributor badge back. Your best answer percentage IN THAT CATEGORY MIGHT have something to do with when you get your top contributor badge.But the best answer percentage you see is is the percentage of best answers you have for the TOTAL number of answers you have posted on YA in ALL sub-categories of YA. NOT the sub category that are trying to get the top contributor badge for.

Do you really want a target, err, albatross, er Top contributor badge? All it does is make you a target for jealous trolls to insult and attack because THEY don't have a top contributor badge.

http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD...

You need to answer question's in various categories.