I stop thinking of someone as a newbie after they've been here 3-4 months. But it doesn't really mean anything to me, other than an unconscious gauge of the population flow. It's not about how mature or active they are, or how well they've integrated themselves into the community; if they've only been here a couple of months, they're a newbie to me, and it's not lesser than a regular member or anything, just newer.

Anyone who has been longer than I have and stays 'active' (which means everyone I've seen) gets vet status in my eyes. I can see myself considering someone who joined later than I did and surpasses me in activeness and contribution (not too difficult there) being a vet, though.