Dang, but you Aussies are smart people.

Sites like these thrive with the addition of new members, but also by making sure that existing members are happy. People come and go, but it's important to keep your regulars happy. Misunderstandings are going to happen. It's a shame when they escalate to the point that this one has, because it inevitably causes divisiveness that only hurts the community as a whole.

I spend a lot of time in the chat room. New people are generally welcomed by those of us who are regulars. It is rare that I'm in there and a new person isn't greeted. I've seen several newbies express surprise about how friendly we are. I'm not saying it's impossible that TheRapist was treated rudely, but we have another account that says he wasn't. Without a log from the room, those of us who weren't there can't judge.

Frankly, somebody intelligent enough to be a therapist ought to know that such a nickname will be controversial and will inevitably arouse deep emotional reactions amongst some. To still stick to such a name seems, to me, to be uncaring and inconsiderate.