Thanks for the comment. I agree that there are situations where new users get punished before they are trained. When someone new stops by my blog and does something that is not considered appropriate, I try to write up a thoughtful comment about how they can improve for next time. When we start flagging new users without warning, we run the risk of running off people who can add value to the community.

However, if someone is constantly spamming, scamming, etc (and their intention is clear), I do think that flagging is appropriate. But when possible I want to err on the side of educating people so that our community is strengthened.