Yahoo! Answers: What how is "relevance" determined when sorting questions and answers?

No one really knows what the formula is, but it is not thumbs down. It seems to be answers that do not contain keywords from the question and those throw away 3 - 4 word answers so many give that get hidden.

It is based on Relevance and the computer software decides which answers are relevant which is not the best way to do it...

On the other settings under Relevance.... Rating, Oldest & Newest answers do not show as hidden.

Now Relevance is the default setting you have to click it to see the other options..

You will have to do that every answer if you want other than Relevance.

Yahoo! has not officially said anything about the new relevance rating system. It is some computerized way of determining an answer according to its relevance to a question.

The reason why relevance is being rated may be to discourage one, or few word answers which could be considered as point gaming answers. Or the rating may be to discourage rants that go way off on a tangent, not related to the asked question.

I have noticed the relevance factor has improved the answers by putting the most knowledgeable and and factual answers on the list, perhaps that's the improvement Yahoo wants to make.

Relevance is a computer program which will hide any answer it feels is not relevant to the question being asked. Staff is not saying which areas the program looks at and it is unlikely they will say anything about it.