I'm gonna put this as a feature too, but hope for Linden feedback.
Newbs look like malformed digital retards. Its *not* their fault. Its just the skin texture(or lack of one) that we all started with.
I'm looking around SL since I joined, and especially in reference to Philip Rosedale's recent appearance at the Long Now seminar, and the world is looking better and better and so are the residents. Except for the new folks.
Now imagine you're someone who just signed up, and on top of having to learn *everything* about how SL works, your avatar looks like it got ran over with a landforming tool (cause there aren't dumptrucks in SL, see? heh). It *can* be a little off-putting.
Now, I'm just recommending that the default male and female starting skins be upgraded so that they look a little more... real.
Easiest thing would be to pay Lost Thereian or someone of his skill level to create the new skins, or hold a contest or something.
I'm using the same logic here as a home-owners association. You're welcome to move into the neighborhood, but your house has to look at least *this good*(holding hands apart to specific a minimum amount of space). So, for the sake of all older residents, new residents should by default at least look better than they do now.