But what about punishing them for not searching or at least not checking the first page of this sub where there is usually at least two threads answering their queries?
yeah, people look for the slightest reasons to react to something.. especially the people here who are always anti-authoritarian.
if it were me, i'd make it a requirement that the newbies read for most common FAQ questions before being able to register an account.
They still wouldn't read it or take any of it in, and even if they were 'forced' to read it it really wouldn't stop stupid threads in here being created so there's probably very little that can be done about it to be honest.
it wouldn't solve all issues, but if they are given the information right away, it'll deter at least some of the repetitive posts.