You know you're a noob in KSP when...

[Chrisd857]

When you succeed at rendezvous, only to find you're approaching retrograde to said object.

Forget to open solar panels.

EVA during ascent.

Shun aerobraking. I did this for a while with Duna; it wastes a ton of fuel.

Build monstrosities because you don't know better. Later, you build monstrosities because you're Whackjob.

You attach decouplers backwards.

[Pecan]

You know you're a newb in KSP when - you try to copy what you've seen in films, by doing the manoeuvres the way they do in Hollywood.

[Dkmdlb]

-When you put RCS fuel on every single ship, including tiny single-use landers

-When you try to dock without knowing about target mode on the navball

-When you use SRBs in upper stages

-When you regularly get re-entry heating on ascent, and don't consider that a problem

-When you put control surfaces on your mun lander.

[Felsmak]

When you visit the Jool system and spontaneously decide to land on Tylo. You will not be prepared!

[Rainbowtrout]

Use one RCS port to land on Tylo.

[Sputnik's Revenge]

When you try to land on Jool. With a lander

[Felsmak]

When your Mun lander has a parachute.

[MircoMars]

-start a flamewar on the forum

-these don't ring a bell: HarvesteR, Jebediah Kerman, Scott Manly, Dany2462, katateochi, HOCgaming... (<- this list is far from complete!)

-haven't spent hours reading or watching videos about 50years old space technology and general rocket science

-you have to google either of these: TWR, ISP, AP, PE, ASL, deltaV, KER, MJ...

-you pirated KSP

now the practical ones:

- turn 270° after launch

- build cockpit upside down because it looks cooler

- forget to place LaunchClamps

- hold shift until you throttle down

- always use 8times symmetry with struts

...ah and of course : - 0.23.5 is your first version.

[Clockwork_werewolf]

Turning north when you want to get into orbit (I still have that satellite up there it's own unique orbit).

Taring your craft apart with parachutes all opening at once and hitting 30G.

No power generators for your craft.

Stranding craft in orbit because you ran out of fuel AND forgot/didn't know about docking ports. (The grabber changes things now but I have some craft up there for before it's time)

To my knowledge Noob means someone who doesn't learn from their mistakes i.e someone who plays like a new player despite clocking up lots of hours. Newbie is just a new player.

[Alfondoo]

- When a 500,000Km Mun rendezvous is "close"

- you didn't realise that you could scroll out on the map view to see more

Edited June 2, 2014 by Alfondoo

[Minarkhaios]

when you put launch clamps on the first stage, and the reactors on the second...

[cantab]

-When you regularly get re-entry heating on ascent, and don't consider that a problem

This. My first approach to reaching orbit was to keep adding RT-10's at the bottom until I had enough to get there.

When your Mun lander has a parachute.

This one's not as common as I might expect, but yeah, people have done it.

- turn 270° after launch

I did this with some of my early launches. I knew I had to launch with the planet's spin to save fuel - but somehow I converted that into a heading of 270 degrees.

[rtxoff]

when you reach Jool with your interplanetary science ship only to find out that you did not manned your science lab and have not enough crew to man it.

[The Jedi Master]

You are a newb in KSP when you try to go to the Mun by pointing at it...

[Minarkhaios]

You are a newb in KSP when you try to go to the Mun by pointing at it...

In fact, that is quite a good approximation of when to start to burn to reach Mun. When Mun is above the horizon, just in front of you.

[Red Iron Crown]

In fact, that is quite a good approximation of when to start to burn to reach Mun. When Mun is above the horizon, just in front of you.

Any other time than that narrow window, though....

[WillHop]

when you reach Jool with your interplanetary science ship only to find out that you did not manned your science lab and have not enough crew to man it.

I packed 2 Kerbals for a science mission to Duna and assumed they would be able to use the science lab even though there was nobody in the command pod. 3 hours later, I couldn't clean the material bay despite having 2 Kerbals in the science lab so I edited the config out of fury. It felt good

[Megalodon 720]

When you put a plate behind an engine and expect to move.

[BudgetHedgehog]

- When you don't strut across stages because you don't know they'll disappear.

I actually had to look that up because I was honestly confused how to have a big payload supported by just a single 2m core.

[cantab]

- When you don't strut across stages because you don't know they'll disappear.

I actually had to look that up because I was honestly confused how to have a big payload supported by just a single 2m core.

I attached struts to radial decouplers before I realised that I didn't need to.

[raxo2222]

When you put docking parts in wrong way >.>

[Science-Recon]

...When you realise that you put the decoupler upside down and can't use your engine.

[Decent Weasel]

When in the demo I had no clue how to throttle or steer, so my suborbital rocket was solid-fuel-powered and spin-stabilized.

I built one that spun to stay stable and flew up backwards. It toppled as the fuel ran out and the COM shifted, and wound up with the second stage pointed spaceward at decouple.

It was stupid, but boy did I have fun.

[Red Iron Crown]

I attached struts to radial decouplers before I realised that I didn't need to.

I'm guilty of this one, too.

You know you're a newb in KSP when you use Mk 55 engines.

[James_Eh]

When you put a plate behind an engine and expect to move.

Or when you put a docking port behind an engine, and wonder what's happened to all of your thrust. (My first attempt at using docking ports. Turns out they dontt act quite like decouplers...)