Neil Harris wrote
How about the much simpler approach of restricting page creation to logged-in users?
No, no and three times no!
Do we want people to try test edits of [[World War II]] rather than creating [[pancakesMMM!!!]] as a sandbox/test edit. No we don't.
I find that many anons are graduate students very much able to help with developing WP. We need these guys! We need them to understand that 'libre et gratuit', as the French helpfully put it, is exactly that. We ask no more than that you come and edit; we put no barriers in place; we are geniunely open to business to IP numbers. We want people's toes in the water and don't put up signs saying 'Private Beach'.
Charles