I think it's a bit of both really but I've wondered the same. There was a few newbie mining question threads today and I didn't know whether they belonged there or in Mining.
I would say they belong in whichever the poster feels more comfortable posting in, rather than the actual content. Isn't that what the newbie section is for; a place where you don't feel intimidated or that your question is too basic?
Not really.
I believe that the forums needs more maneuverability. You need to be able to find the exact kind of posts , pertaining to the exact topic of the subforum.
Currently , the beginners and help subforum has a multitude of questions from all subforums. Other than this , those subforums have the remaining half of the questions.
I guess it can be everything if posted by a newbie user.
Newbie users are no longer restricted.
So , what exactly is the purpose of the Beginners and help forums ?