it's just very easy to miss any hint, that you have to post something and it's ONLY in this part of the forum.
I started from getting frustrated, because I couldn't post anything in that thread nor send any PM.
also, HELP section of this board about PM's or Posting doesn't contain any warnings about the way of newbies' system.
it definitely should.
There's a post in the sub-forum stating what newbies can and not do. They can send PM's after a certain amount of posts.