I prefer a Members Only scenario, as it would then be easier to stop spammers, and to exclude those who's interests don't coincide with those of this forum.
The Secret Santa thing could be run on the Help Forum as it is presently constituted, because one can post there without logging on. This would make it possible to make the whole main site members only.
All the clones would really need to worry about spam wise would be the help forum then.
It is difficult or well nigh impossible to ban a poster using his IP address only, as some of our posters already know, so membership would make mavericks easier to detect.
It might be possible to register 2 identities as a member if they wanted to, one for normal posts, and one for SS or anonymous posts, the people who run the site would still know who was who, and thus control could be maintained
Giok