You could send a PM (which would email them if they’re not onsite). What are you actually trying to achieve though?
4 Mi Piace
Should this at least be changed for tutorial PM?
Not many new users start the tutorial as the very first thing (actually, not many do at all), but those who do have the new user notice posted inside a tutorial, where no one will ever see it.
9 Mi Piace
That is an excellent point, we should prevent it in that case, I agree.
8 Mi Piace
It’s not only the tutorials. Private messages in general shouldn’t be candidates to display this notice.
Example:
Our new forum is still very small and (following Discourse’s advice somewhere) we are welcoming every new user with a personal message. It is not unusual that the first post of a new user will be a reply to the lovely message we send them. 
And their reply shows the “This is the first time…” notice. This is means that whenever they comment publicly for the first time, no notice will identify them as new contributors.
2 Mi Piace
Maybe edit the welcome message with a notice, “Please do not reply to this message. No one will see this.”
1 Mi Piace
Hi Jeff,
Are there any plans for the new user notices not appearing in PMs. Will this be going forward?
Thanks
4 Mi Piace
This appears to be split in to new user notice tl and returning user notice tl now?
4 Mi Piace
Yes, thanks for mentioning it. I’ve updated the original post.
4 Mi Piace