What makes you think the latter is necessary?

(I accidentally misread Kindlys post, the response to his actual wording is in a comment below.)

Would you go into a room full of strangers and announce that you're an elitist? Have you ever tried talking about this with everyday people? Talking about intellectual differences, giftedness, elitism, etc. often triggers a bad reaction, even if you try to do it carefully. This is socially inept to an extreme. When the masses don't like something, they don't stop to make distinctions about it. If you guys aren't doing anything to prevent users from smearing the whole organization as "elitist" then all of you are going to be deemed guilty by association. There are people using their real names here - their IRL reputations may be effected by elitism or the appearance of elitism. Just as you shouldn't abuse a person by slandering them, you shouldn't abuse a group of people by smearing them all as elitists - unless they deserve that. That's why it's important - because people like me take offense to being labeled an "elitist", knowing what resentment that can provoke in the average Joe, and I don't appreciate being smeared this way with the rest of you.

Also, don't misquote my wording. What I said was that people shouldn't be let to smear LessWrong by using the word "elitism" lightly. That's different from banning it from use. I'm essentially saying "don't let them slander the group". Of course, if you guys really do think you're better than everyone else and that you should have special treatment and exceptions to rules, go ahead and use the word "elitist" to describe that, as it will give the rest of the world the right idea. I will definitely be leaving if that's what the group decides, though, and you'll be scaring off the other non elitist intellectuals and donations from anyone who isn't an intellectual elitist.