what is this points thing with yahoo answers?

Asking a questions will deduct 5 points from your total but 3 are returned when you award a best answer so really just cost 2 points.
Points are just an incentive to answer more and get more points, they have no other value at all.
The more points you acquire allows you to go up in levels.

The points table below summarizes the point values for different actions.
Begin participating on Yahoo Answers One Time: 100
Ask a question -5
Choose a best answer for your question 3
Answer a question 2
Self-deleting an answer -2
Log in to Yahoo Answers Once daily: 1
Have your answer selected as the best answer 10
Receive a "thumbs-up" rating on a best answer that you wrote (up to 50 thumbs-up are counted)
1 per "thumbs-up"
Receive a violation -10

points are deducted for asking questions and awarded for answering them.

Hello SpinalSnowCat,

When you answer a question you are awarded 2 points, if you are given the Best Answer by the Asker you are awarded a further 10 points but whenever you ask a question you are deducted 5 points.

Why on earth there is a points system on Yahoo Answers is beyond me there is no benefit to getting 1000s of point for asking questions or getting Best Answer points.

I thought Yahoo Answers was set up to help those who needed answers to question or to get advice about something not to award points, although a few subscribers only intent seems to be to accrue as many points as possible and in order to do this they tend to answer many question with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

Why they bother to do this is also beyond me.

Most subscribers to this site, like myself, genuinely wish to help those in need and don't care a fig about points.

Poseidon

Yes

Points explained at link below

Points are used for asking a question and leveling up here. 5 points will be cost you whenever you asked a question. Up your level by collecting points to increase your daily limitation. If you will get more higher level you can ask & answer in more frequency.

To knowing more about points, level and your daily limitation for asking or answering a question go to ABOUT tab they located from bottom left side of yahoo answer page next to international tab. Click points & level under on about tab. Note if you're on mobile version you need switch to desktop version to find out about tab.