To see how much your ratings of questions or answers is worth, look at your "My Profile" page. On the right side, you'll see a section that lists how much your votes are worth. When you first join the site, your positive votes are worth +1 point, and your negative votes are worth -1 point, but those will both go up as you earn more points on the site.

You can get ratings for both questions and for answers. The higher your level is here on AB the higher points you can give... like right now... I can give up to 5 points to a answer but only up to 4 on a question, and I can give up to 4 negitive points for both questions and answers.

Most people here give the full amount of points they can offer...


I assume this is what you meant but please let me know if I am off base! +4

1) Here is how to find out:
- go on your private profile page. For instance by following this link (you must already have logged on):
http://www.answerbag.com/profile/
- look at the left margin (under "Shopping Q&A"
- look at the "my ratings" section (under the "my points" section)
You can read here: "When you rate something, it's worth:"
The table underneath shows what is your maximum rating account for questions and for answers, for uprating and for downratings.

I suggest that you don't use "Not Helpful Ratings" very often, they are not much appreciated...


2) As your own level grows, your maximal rating power grows. This is the maximum:
ans ques
Helpful Rating: +6 +5
Not Helpful Rating: -5 -5

On your profile page it says the maximum number of positive and negative points you can assign any given question and answer. You don't have to award all those points. For example, if I can award up to 4 points but I feel a certain answer only partially addresses the question, then I can award 1, 2, or 3 points.