Have reached LEVEL 5: Big deal-NoDeal; what exactly does this mean, if anything? real value?

Question

If the table of privileges is reviewed, there is no difference between it and the last upper two: 6 & 7.
What were your feelings when you attained level 5; or any particular level?

Be honest now: did you have a feeling of accomplishement? Are did you feel anything at all? What about being awarded a title of "Top Contributor"? Any change in your self-image?

And what of those who have accummulated 10's of 1,000s of points, but no Top Contributor awards? Can anyone give a plausible explanation for this seemingly anomoly?

Would appreciate some really well-thought out and eruidte answers to any of these questions. Please don't be funny: just straight forward, reasoned answers.

Thanks,

Wotan

5 hours after posting: Some truly, really great answers.
One of the few questions I've asked, to which I've received responses that have really helped me get my head around the kernel of the question: if this makes sense to anyone. Anyway, again, many thanks.

Wotan

Answer 1

Well, allow me to congratulate you on reaching level 5! I'm not sure what it means in terms of benefits but I know that I am always a little in awe of those who have reached levels 5, 6 and 7. I'm only level 3 so can't comment on how it feels to have reached the heady heights you now occupy but I guess I feel it suggests a certain level of commitment (although some may feel this 'commitment' to be a negative quality!)

I can admit, however, to being a bit pleased with myself for becoming a Top Contributor. My understanding of TC status is that you have to answer predominantly in a particular area. I wasn't aiming for TC but I did like the orange TC banner under my name! I think of it as a specialisation, in the way people in their jobs specialise in a particular aspect or skill, so I would possibly pay more attention to an answer given by a TC, if their specialty was pertinent to the original question.

I have wondered what the real value of the '% Best Answer' is. I used to think that maybe level status and/or TC status should be tied to this but have recently realised that this % ranking can actually have little bearing on the quality of your answers! Many askers simply choose bad answers (unwittingly or out of laziness or sheer deliberate uncooperativenss, I can't decide - maybe I shouldn't care!).

Edit: Nice answer, Chrispy! Puts it all into perspective!

Answer 2

Well, I've been at Level 5 for over a year, and have yet to accumulate even 10,000 points.

I suppose there's a feeling of personal satisfaction from moving up a level and/or becoming a Top Contributor, but that's all it is for me--personal satisfaction. None of my family knows what level I am--not that this is anything like a "secret life" or something I keep to myself--it just doesn't emerge as a topic of conversation.

I'm afraid I can give no explanation as to why some people are awarded Top Contributor while others aren't. It seems almost random, and I really don't spend a lot of time thinking about the whys and wherefores of it. I just enjoy the questions and answers--most of them are quite interesting, some thought provoking, and others just plain silly and allow my inner child a chance to play.

Real value? I suppose, in the final analysis, there is none. I can't picture people sitting around at my wake talking about how many points I got on Yahoo Answers or if I ever made Top Contributor level.

It's nothing more for me than a pleasant diversion.

Answer 3

It used to feel like an accomplishment to make T.C.
However, Y/A is becoming like a reflection of today's society.
People are dishonest and the truth isn't important. I always thought percentage of best answer was the true way to show your knowledge, but nowadays these young kids don't vote for the best answer, they set their friends up with a question and then vote for their friends answer as best, even when it isn't. I've been burned so many times that way, it's getting frustrating.
It's the story of today's society, get on top no matter how, dishonesty, cheating, setting up your friends is acceptable to achieve your goals.

P.S.
The reason some people have lots of points and a high percentage of best answer, but don't make T.C., is because of some of the reasons I stated above. They were probably reported as being against the community guidelines and received a violation. Y/A keeps track of violations, if you receive too many, you won't make T.C.

Answer 4

You get to answer more questions and ask as many as you want. I see it as a way to help people that really need it. Otherwise its not worth any money or anything. Top contributor is from what i've seen is answering questions in one particular area of questions.

Answer 5

I was VERY happy to get to 3, since (being unemployed) I had been hitting the friggin' limits.

I noted the other Levels, 5 I did feel was a biggie, as there was no chance of hitting limits any more.

The 6 and 7: I noticed at some point I'd gotten to the next. As you suggest, once you get unlimited, it's just a meter, but of no real interest. I mean, I'd look at my status now and then. I guess, once I got 7, it meant that there was no looking at my status to see where I am, or how far to go.

But since that was a minor part of the experience, it was hardly life-shattering.

Accomplishment? I suppose, though minor. I sort of have those when I realize I've gone past some roundy number. Mostly this is in answers. Ten thousand was a bit mixed, as it means, Clearly NOT in my Right Mind, but then, there hadn't been any doubt about that for just EVER. Recently saw I'd crossed 50,000 points, which I'd noticed I was approaching.

I was surprisingly disappointed about not getting TC when they first came out. When I read about them, I thought I'd never see one, as answering in a variety of topics is my favorite thing about the site.

But then, I got one for the YA category. Then added psychology. I had one in Politics for a while, then Etiquitte.

Then wasn't around for a while, and lost them all.

I was answering in a lot of categories I hadn't spent much time in, and was taking a break from the YA category (when you start screaming at seeing the same friggin' quesiton over and over, time to go elsewhere).

So I was badgeless yet Level 7 for quite some time.

Now I have YA and Friends (most of the time, I hadn't spent much time in that category, but have been in the Family one for a couple of months).

In a way, I've sort of gamed the TC system. That is, I deliberately decided to get the Miss Manners one, and made a point of going to that category (as opposed to my more usual being on the whole Society & Culture area).

Just to see.

Being someone who hasn't cared much about all the points, levels, and other gunk, and actually sorry they have it, as it just draws cheaters, I am surprised at caring somewhat about the TCs.

Not "ruins my life" or anything, but I tend to notice their coming and going more. And did kinda go after it.

As for why a person with good stats doesn't have one: they've not been here much lately (they're recalculated every week, though they take a longer time period into account than just the last week). So if you go away for two weeks, and then participate less, you'd lose it until you'd participated more solidly for some weeks.

And if there aren't topics where you give a lot more answers, and get noticebly more Bests (compared to the other categories).

The blurb that the Yamster first put out made it sound like they look at YOUR stats, and see if any categories stand out. NOT they look at categories and see if users stand out. Dunno if that's deliberatly misleading, bad writing, or how it works (which seems backwards to me).

"Change in my self-image"? Never. I'm not THAT fragile.

You don't mention Leader Boards -- there's another widget a LOT of people obsess over.

I looked at that about 3 times, out of curiosity, the last time probably a year ago.

Maybe it's that I have no status on them that I've never been targetted by trolls.

Or the fact I'm not known in any of the cliquey categories, as I spend so much time in others.

I have seen a lot of questions and answers about all these things -- people emotionally devistated over the ugly orange strip; acrimonious that after moving up, then asking a question, they're back in Level 3; and so on.

I truly do NOT get it.

They beg for points, for stars, for "most answers" (a futile quest if ever there was one).

They offer "ten points!!!" as though they were Ed McMahon offering ten million dollars.

A site exactly like this, but without all the "rewards" would be 1,000 times better than this one. I think the bogus rewards cause more problems than they do attract or retain quality users.

I know that, without them, I would still answer questions as much as I have, but without as much burn out at seeing all the Points-Mania and TC Envy questions.

Answer 6

Level 5 is the Answers addict's crack - unlimited questions!; sadly, I have never reached it and have no idea how it feels. They always delete my accounts at level 3 or 4. I've lost (to deletion) about a dozen TC tags - to me, they were nothing more than targets for the report monkeys :)

Congrats!

Answer 7

Well, the highest level I have ever got (on my previous accounts) was only 5,000...

and

lv6 and lv7 have WAY to much time on their hands... they need to get a life. (beside Judas Rabbi... he's cool)