When does one lose the title of “newbie?”
Never, or shortly after the rapture. Whichever comes first.
“Newbie” is a state of mind, manifested in behavior. If one believes oneself to be a newbie, one will usually behave as a newbie, and will be perceived accordingly. Of course, one can still behave as a newbie whilst believing oneself to have moved beyond. Such people are still newbies, regardless of their own beliefs.
Ditching “newbie” is a combination of confidence/comfort and others’ perceptions.
I plan to be a newbie forever. It’s not a bad thing. Just look at all the people with high counts on the Newbie Master List thread. All of them are proud to be called newbie, despite the burden of a large post count.
I like this question, because it does goes beyond just this message board. When do you stop feeling like the new kid on the block at a new job, or a new school, or a new neighborhood? Well, how about when you start seeing people who are even newer than you? Then you are not the new kid on the block anymore. But as others have pointed out in the post-counter debate, quality of posts is more important than quantity of posts.
Another Quality Post Brought To You By Soccerhooligan
I no longer feel like a newbie because I took the initiative to begin a few threads, one of which meant a great deal to me. I think one thing that brings you out of newbieland is familiarity among the fellow Dopers - if they keep referring to you by name in their posts (rebuttals, responses, etc.) and your original posts weren’t inflammatory or derisive, then you’re on your way. It’s different if some newbie opens a thread in the pit and then just flames people with no coherent logic or thought involved (not like that’s ever happened on this board, right?) will find it a longer road to respectibility among the Teeming Millions. 