Why is this a violation?

~ Your answer was NOT a violation and you should appeal the violation within 7 days, using the Appeal Link, in the Violation Notice email.

If the link does not work (it sometimes doesn't), then use this alternate appeal form:
http://io.help.yahoo.com/contact/index?locale=en_US&y=PROD_ANSW&page=contact


~ One of the ways that the asker's question can be interpreted, is that s/he wanted to know WHY s/he couldn't receive any email. You answered that question.

You told the asker that "Everybody is having trouble with Yahoo email. It's not just you.".
Another person might have expressed it this way: "Yahoo Mail is experiencing technical difficulty.".

Yahoo Answers allows for natural language, so you are not required to express yourself, in the same manner that another would express himself, as long as the answer is understandable.

I'm sorry that your answer was reported; I really wish people would read the Community Guidelines before reporting!

~ If you have any trouble appealing, or your appeal is denied (Customer Care sometimes makes mistakes), come to the suggestion board and post a thread, asking for help:
http://suggestions.yahoo.com/?prop=answers

Don't bother appealing; you won't win. The violation is for not actually answering the question. Answers must actually attempt to give a useful answer. What you wrote is the equivalent of "Me too" which is not helpful. If you can't give any help, just move on.

I would say that it was a useful answer, because the asker now knows that the problem may be with Yahoo, and not with the asker's e-mail.

I have not been convicted of violation very often, but I did win on appeal, after I explained the reasoning of my answer.

There is no harm in trying.

The question is not even a question - therefore every single answer to the "question" would be a violation for misuse of the format. You didn't even attempt to answer what they MEANT to ask. Misuse of the format - just like your violation notice stated. Perhaps you should read the guidelines.

I have no clue how you have managed to get to Level 7 without knowing the difference between a question and a nonquestion or an answer and a nonanswer. Insanity!

http://answers.yahoo.com/info/community_guidelines;_ylt=ApS0zIkwpB_v0uInh4BnDfMazKIX;_ylv=3

Don't appeal - you will lose.

You can appeal but you will lose the appeal.The question was in fact a violation technically as the person did not ask anything but simply said they could not get their mail. You did not provide an answer to help them but simply told them that they were no on their own. This did not solve the problem which is what we are supposed to be about.

it is not a violation

If someone reports it, just about anything can be a violation. It just works that way in here.

Your particular answer, as explained by other users, was not really an answer. Actually the question is more of a violation than your answer, but the question didn't get reported. Don't look for the logic, there isn't any.

Report-trolls are a huge problem in here. They'll create several accounts and log in to report people (sometimes randomly, sometimes they do the stalker thing) under each one, because... well nobody with a brain really knows why. When you remember that ANY post can usually be a violation under the technical rules, it's pretty easy for the reporter-trolls.