why do so many people say "10 points for the best answer" - Isn't that automatic for the Best Answer??

it's annoying and you do get 10 points for the best answer when your answer is chosen to be the best! some people just do that so people will answer their questions and want to swell

Because that's what you get 10 points. You're a L-7?

It is automatic for Best Answer...assuming the person chooses a Best Answer. Some people will put that into their question to entice people to answer since the asker must now choose Best Answer.

If the asker does not choose, there will be no Best Answer. In days of old, questions went to a vote if the person did not choose a Best Answer.

It's an implied promise that they will choose a best answer to the question, sadly many of them give empty promises.

It makes people want to answer the question. Some people may have taken the guidelines quiz (gives 20 pts btw) which showed an example of that which Y!A said was perfectly ok.

To try to get you to answer the question. But then they will NOT chose a Best Answer.

People don't realize that we do NOT get paid for helping them we are only doing it out of the goodness of our hearts.

Yes, I find that annoying, too.

Even more annoying is reading answers from people who don't know what they're talking about.

You did that.

You answered a question about whether someone in their 20s. Could live a middle class lifestyle in Manhattan on $230,000 a year. You said that a guy in his 20s should be able to live anywhere in the US on that. Well, you clearly haven't seen the NYC housing market! I think that one COULD live a reasonable lifestyle for that, but it's not as crazy a question as you think. Rent on a small one bedroom apartment costs AT LEAST $2,000 a month. And you haven't seen what those apartments look like! To live a nice lifestyle in Manhattan, you have to make at LEAST that much money.

If you don't live here, why are you answering that question????

Biff don't u have anything better to worry about. Like your erection problems? Get a life and don't worry about points. They wont help u. And STFFU!

It is to simply lure people and used as a form of manipulation to get a person to give a better quality answer.

Stop being so stupid and stop making excuses. You'll never get the best answer, so why are asking this question?!?