User selectable "make public" topic option?

Right. That was the plan, but the need for some topics in the category to remain private is the issue.

Assume we make our Build Threads category read-only to visitors. Can we then somehow hide all topics within that category to non-members unless the poster specifically authorizes it?

Given a publicly-visible category, is there anyway make said public visibility optional and the topic creator’s choice? Should we just have two categories—one public, one private? Or is there another option I haven’t considered?

Thanks.