The day you become an established poster is the day you push back from your monitor, look at your desk, and say to yourself “Wow, I really should try to get some work done.”
I knew I was an established poster when I started getting mentioned as one of the Usual Suspects.
Like if during a political debate a conservative poster is saying something like, “How do you let liberals like Der Trihs, Elucidator, Lobohan and [Insert Name Here] get away with [Insert Bad Behavior Here]”
When:
- When you post something with over5000 views
2 .When OpalCat privileges you with a response in a thread. - Hi Opal!
- When you actually go to a Dopefest and meet some of these people.
Once people start complaining about you in the Pit? 
When people assume they know your philosophical/political leanings by just seeing your username.
I’ve not been warned or modnoted. I have been Pitted, so that counts and that is the best metric, I think. You are official once you have been Pitted. Group pittings count.
A corollary to these two metrics is when your username has the same effect as an adjective or an interjection. Examples:
“That’s such a <somebody’s username> way of putting that.”
“That’s a real <SUN> attitude.”
“Well, I’ll be <SUN>”
Best case is when there’s a cartoon/graffiti item on a fence somewhere with the caption “SUN was here!”
Do you shun threadkillers?
bracing for answer
I guess I would gauge it by:
- actual conversations/engagement; and
- being known for 1-2 things (hopefully good; sometimes bad).
I hang out in music threads, and end up talking with many/most of the Doper Music Geek Contingent (DMGC) at some point or another. We debate lists and definitions and such, share experiences and expertise and in general feed our music geek fix. Fun times! But I have also been pinged by a thread - another Doper was drawing my attention to a cool, old guitar up for auction. That was a cool form of “engagement” one the Dope - like when you get name-checked in a thread.
Oh, ETA: I have had my honor defended in a thread 
:D. I was commenting on thread etiquette, got snarked, and someone said “no, WordMan’s okay.” in a thoughtful way. That’s another form of cool engagement.
If I am known at all, I am sure it would be as a person involved in music and guitar.
I tend to avoid sharing much personal stuff, because get off my lawn ;). So I am sure I can be only so “established” vs. others who’ve been here for a similar time-length and post-count as me…
my $.02
I think the only metric I will ever fulfill is the 5000 posts. I’m pretty much neutral/agnostic everything so I wouldn’t have a definable personality. I will say I do greatly appreciate the established posters, it makes the message board very enjoyable.
I don’t seem to inspire enough strong feelings to be pitted. I guess I’ll stay unestablished.
Mr Nylock and Antinor,
You don’t have to be particularly antagonistic to receive a Pit thread. I got a three page Pit thread about myself because I said in an IMHO thread, “Organized religion is worse than organized crime”. Somebody thought I shouldn’t even be allowed to say that!
I came here to the Dope to discuss books - I don’t have anyone in my real life who reads as voraciously and avidly as I do. Over the years I have morphed into discussing everything, but I try not to be too antagnostic, especially now. I try to be nice. 
When you get a PM from a much more active/longer-term member. Especially if its either “I agree” or “what the hell were you thinking”.
Same here. I don’t come to the SDMB to scratch whatever itch is required to get Pitted. I want to talk about interesting stuff and be entertained, and, hopefully, add to the overall Entertainment Quotient (EQ) of the SDMB. But not in a High-Drama way.
Seriously - I don’t get the attitude of “you should be pitted; it’s a badge of honor.” I have a teenage daughter. My #1, central focus with her is to understand how Drama is Not Her Friend. Choose better options, and don’t leave a wake behind you. Why would I support that type of behavior, even if on an anonymous message board?
Pittings happen for a variety of reasons, and a misfired Pitting can leave someone better off, reputation-wise here. But I assume that is an exception, and not central to the basic assertion the “real Dopers get Pitted” meme.
ETA: **Anaamika **- interesting example. I tend not to engage in that type of discussion - I totally see where your assertion about crime and religion is coming from, but find those types of discussions on the SDMB to be circular and unsatisfying, so I tend to avoid them. My call, and part of my discussion about how established I could ever be. I don’t want to go there.
Are you reading the Woman in White for the dope book club?
I’ve never been warned and I don’t think I’ve ever been pitted. But I’ve been playing here for over 14 years, so I guess that counts for something. And I’ve had Dopers visit my home and I’ve dined with assorted Dopers in at least 5 states. I like to think I’m “established” and somewhat recognizable because I’m nice, dammit! 
Yes, I have finished the book and am waiting for the discussion thread.
Wordman, I wouldn’t say it’s a badge of honor exactly. Just sort of a…thing. It wasn’t even a discussion IIRC, it was just one of those “What are your unsupported or shocking beliefs?” I think that was one in a list, and I didn’t really think it was that shocking.
That all makes sense.
FairyChatMom - yes, I have connected with Dopers IRL a couple of times, too. Nice folks and good times.
Upon receipt of your first cease and desist order.
FWIW, several years ago in a similar themed thread ntucker who is now known as spinky wrote a script that went through the entire member list collecting key information (most especially Number of Posts) on everybody. That list needs to be updated or redone because it was an excellent overview of the membership at the time. Since then many have left (BANNED or otherwise departed) and many have come in to replace the Heavy Hitters.
I don’t know the techniques or I might try to redo that list. Anybody into data mining and scripts and such? Might be a fun project!