How can the YA site make people more aware that users do NOT need to be Level 2 to vote?

Maybe they could make a button at the top of the window where the ask., answer., and discover., buttons are, dedicated to voting. Because I don't think people realize that you can. But if there was a section dedicated to just voting on questions, then people would.

I think you may have put your finger on it, with the mention of Thumbs. There are regular complaints on the Suggestions forum that "it's not fair level 1 can't vote" and they invariably mean "use Thumbs Up". There are also many who believe giving a Thumbs Down is equivalent to reporting bad content - thinking that if it removes it from THEIR view, it removes it also from everyone else's. It is not realistic to expect a new user to read all the Guidelines before getting into using Answers. It is obvious from questions here they have no idea of the Levels points system, either. But Mini has the best idea.....let the Welcome email be a basic "starter pack"......."these are the rights and quotas you get" (with links to more detail if they want it). This should include diagrams of pages to show where the Open, Voting etc tabs are. We've even had questions from those who can't find the "action bar" mentioned in FAQ as the place to Edit from etc. They are new, they cannot know our terminology. One set of diagrams in the FAQ would do, BUT the Welcome email would have to give a big link to it....not named FAQ but a miniature version of a page diagram.

I think it helps by asking more questions like this one.

Personally, I feel that this is pretty much a non issue as all of this is clearly stated on the points and levels page. (assuming anyone reads it). I would rather see more attention given to Yahoo keeping their weekly updates more bug free so that TCs can have accurate representations of their accumulated best answers in a given category. My 1499 BAs in diabetes has been that way since last August. Not that it's all that big of a deal, but I must have accumulated a couple of hundred since then. Also, I would submit that the 360 mess is far more pressing that a few people not knowing that they can't vote if they're on level one. Really, all you have to do to resolve that particular issue is to try to vote just once. You don't even have to hunt around to find the points and levels page to learn that. That's the beauty of this computer stuff. You can't learn if you don't try.

The easiest way would be to change the BA voting to only level two and above. The correct way would be to put a note beside the TU/TD symbols that says "Level 2-7 users only" and also put a note in the question typing box area that says, "To Vote for the Best Answer to Your Question, Come Back in Four Hours". Their help files are useless because they have basically hidden them, there is no FAQ section, and of course searches do not help. I have pushed for a large font link on every page called "Top 20 FAQs About Using YA". How to rate and vote would be one, and then all we would have to answer is say "Read FAQ #3" for example. If they saw it on every page, new users would pick up on it being there.

Really? I never knew that! Thanks! I guess, when you make your account they should brief you on those things!

As you are well aware most new people are in such a hurry to get started, they don't read the TOS and CG's Points and Levels, judging from the questions we continually see. "How do I get to Level 2?" is an example that you and I must have answered a hundred times, if not a thousand. To answer your question though. I have often though each page should have a small blurb of just a few lines with tips and answers to such basic questions. A "Tips" link could be helpful also.

Maybe have the first question in all catagories be something like a "Please read first"

It is to bad people just jump into this without knowing the rules. I do not know of any way to help them know if they do not check this out before they begin the Q&A rules. Maybe they could post it occasionally as FYI. Questions like yours is one of the best ways.