You're kidding, right?

Dude, you have almost as many reviews in a little over a year as I do in almost a decade!  Now, like you, I always want to be open to learning as I go but I think you are WAY past being a newbie!  Actually, now that I think about it, that first time you passed on a provider because of something you've learned here, you graduated out of Newbie status!

I have been in the hobby for over a decade, I still feel that I am learning things. Just because someone has a bunch of reviews doesn't mean that the said individual understands all the aspects of TER and hobbying. It just means that he loves pussy and knows how to submit reviews.  I am not picking on the OP, but rather expanding his point that we are always learning something new...

Every time TER changes the website, or introduces new things, we all take a step back.  The website was much different, and TER was operated/ran much differently in 2004 - when I joined. Hell..It was a whole different world until this Feb.

So welcome to the world of hobbying.

That doesn't mean that there isn't always something new to learn.

but I'm learning all the time.  
skb

In this and other areas of our lives. If we stop learning, then we are dead. I have been at this in one form or another for 30 years, and I am still learning things.

I would say you are not a true "newbie" since you have seen a bunch of providers, but it is good to always be learning more.

Here is a post from a thread about 6 weeks ago, answering the same question. I thougth this was a really good answer. I remembered this post when I saw your question, but I had to search for it. You can check out the rest of the thread too.

you have more reviews than some of what used to moderate us.  (I do not know what moderates us now) so NO you are not a newbie.  Just a q though how many TOFTT have you done?  That either gets you off the newbie list or on to the crazy list.