Concern Troll

1. (Noun) The Concern Troll differentiates itself from more outwardly nasty cousins by using generally polite language and claiming to agree with their victims. They then claim that their victims are essentially "doing it wrong," to help, they offer advice which would either invalidate their victims' position, cause an inherent hypocrisy with their philosophy, or render them unable to effectively advocate for it. Their first known appearance was in talk radio, where they would open up their call with, "I'm such a huge fan, and you're always right, but..." usually followed with statements completely at odds with the philosophy governing the show. They were nicknamed by some as "seminar callers," because progressive groups in the USA had actually funded seminars where they taught followers to use this tactic against opposition voices on the radio in the '90s. These deceptive practices and individuals have since metastasized into the internet. This is why most Concern Trolls are found on boards or the comment sections of political subjects; they use this tactic to attempt to sow seeds of doubt, and weaken their political opposition. Most are left-wing progressives, although a smattering of alt-right Concern trolls have begun to appear. The cure for the typical nasty troll is the simple statement, "don't feed the trolls," i.e., ignore them. The cure for the Concern Troll is, "NEVER TAKE THE ADVICE!" (And if you are attracting them, likely you are doing something right)