I termed it 'ridiculous' to fail somebody for calling established if not exactly within 5 degrees, that is to say if somebody called at 5.2 degrees they would fail their LPC and need to repeat. I stand by this definition of the matter. Let's say there was another task that needed completing and the pilot decided they'd call established ASAP to tend to the other task (whilst being able to get a move on with ATC and switched to tower etc) rather than tend to it and forget the 'established' call entirely, what then? Flying is obviously not black and white and there is a lot more to be considered.
Regarding the altitude, you are playing semantics and you know well.
About your final paragraph, I do not disagree nor did I say we are to do away with SOPs in favour of simply flying from A to B hoping it goes well. I mean to say that once the operation is safe and SOPs are adhered to within reason then nitpicking serves the benefit of neither the pilots nor the safety of the operation. Where do we stop? somebody calling 'acceleration altitude' as they eye the altimeter pass 1,280' instead of the millisecond it displays 1,300'? This is the stuff I really dislike seeing and is a pain. What exactly do we learn from this type of stuff? I go to my LPC looking to learn as well as demonstrate competency. If you remove the learning aspect and replace it with nitpicking then we have well and truly lost it.