It doesn't bother me much because I am a fairly new poster myself -- I wouldn't have qualified for the elite status under any measurement. I do find it amusing that the "elite" forum is called Old Red Guard -- and proudly proclaims that this area was named after a prominent deceased poster.

We all post in an area called "Sun Deck" -- named after the cheap seats, an open, unroofed porch or platform extending from the nicer part of the stadium.

Should we have a big "L" stamped on our foreheads as well?

The fact is that while that may have been the "Freudian slip" kind of thought process behind this move, it usually works in the exact opposite way. Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are mostly likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern. Alternatively, the term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of the elite.

For the converse of "elitism" see "anti-elitism," "populism," and the political theory of pluralism. Elite theory is the sociological or political science analysis of elite influence in society - elite theorists regard pluralism as a utopian ideal.

Elitism may also refer to situations in which an elite individual assumes special privileges and responsibilities in the hope that this arrangement will benefit humanity.

At times, elitism is closely related to social class and what sociologists call social stratification. Members of the upper classes are sometimes, though inaccurately, known as the "social elite."

The term elitism is also sometimes misused to denote situations in which a group of people claiming to possess high abilities or simply an in-group or cadre grant themselves extra privileges at the expense of others. This debased form of elitism may be described as discrimination.