How do you decide a Top contributor in Yahoo Answers ?

t'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.

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

According to Yahoo. Top Contributor is a member of the Answers community who has shown that they are knowledgeable in a particular category. Each Answers user can be a top contributor in up to three categories.

The top contributor badge is dynamic,if you don't keep up the required BA percentage you can lose the designation.you earn it or lose it depending on your recent participation in a particular category. The more actively you contribute, the more likely you will earn a badge. Just like featured users or category leaders, it's another way to feature community members who might otherwise be overlooked.

The best way to earn it is to concentrate on answering in up to three categories where you might have some knowledge. "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.

NO ONE knows what the formula is except Staff.

There isn't a set # of points or best answers needed as each category is different and it is based on total contributions Not just best answers alone.

Best answers help because of the points.

All those answers given with numbers and percentages about what it takes are just guesses and are not accurate.

A TC is just someone that answered the required # of answers and got the required # of best answers to meet the formula requirements for that category.

The best way to get one is answer in 1 - 3 category's you know the

most about for a 3 week period and get some best answers and if you meet the requirements you will have a badge show up one Monday morning.

You have to keep meeting the formula requirements to keep the badge.

There aren't Top Contributor badges in P&S or Jokes & Riddles.

Staff posted this about how to get one.......by Yahoo! Answers employee Yahoo! Answers Team UK

You need to contribute enough in the same section over a three week period.

Without giving away too many secrets, the calculation includes points earned (so getting Best Answers is an advantageus factor) but also looks at total activity in the section.

In small isolated sections a TC badge is much easier to get (but worth less, as there was less competition for it).

http://suggestions.yahoo.com/detail/?prop=answers&...

To become a Top Contributor here, you have to have a certain number of answers and a certain percentage of Best Answers in a given category during a one-week period. This can be earned in up to three categories at one time.

The TC badges are usually given out on Monday mornings (US Pacific Time) and reflect your participation during the previous week. The exact number of answers and percentage of BAs is not made public. Nobody knows exactly what it is. Rumor has it that it's not a steady number.