Can we cut the "concern troll" thing?

I'm not talking about someone with 12 posts, but among the firmly established. A lot of us actually have concerns with the approaches being taken on specific issues. If you don't like it, tell them why they're wrong, but don't throw up that "thanks for your concern" or "concern troll" BS.

I saw someone say something I thought could be a problem for us down the road, and I posted a thread about it. I just got the "thanks for your CONCERN" stuff from someone else, who claimed he hadn't seen ANYONE here at DU say that.

ARRRGGGHHH. Here's the deal: call people out for thoughts you disagree with, and explain why you disagree. But don't simply label a 7000+ post 4-year member a concern troll.

It's just stupid, and doesn't add a thing to the discussion. And it reduces the level of discourse here (especially when the person you labeled a concern troll is driven to use bad words in reply).

We can't stop that.

I've seen the term but not sure what the insult is.

In other words, Republican operatives go on Dem sites and say things like "don't we have to worry that if Hillary....."

That's what makes me angry - the whole concern troll thing implies you're an outsider trying to derail the conversation or stir up trouble, rather than an insider who wants to talk about what's going on.

I'm not going to check before posting that my idea might be "discouraging" or "demoralizing"

Had I been her in 2000 (was DU around in 2000?) I would have posted that some idiot women in the 'burbs were going to vote for the Chimpster because he was "cute". Would that have been concern trolling, or alerting folks that just because he was dumb and (to borrow a phrase) comically inexperience, maybe we shouldn't write him off.

I'll be goddamned if I'm going to censure myself here. I'll post what I want to post, and would hope that people would ARGUE with me rather than try some ad hominem shit that I'm a "concern troll" or "dressing up discouraging or demoralizing stuff to appear helpful".

So what, happy talk only?

It seems as though people don't even want to acknowledge that there may actually be something to be concerned about.

And a concern isn't throwing up our hands in defeat and predicting doom. There are legitimate concerns, and it's too bad that we are attacked for wanting to discuss, or get clarification/opinions on, something that we care about.

Recommend.

Not that I think it'll do any good.

Call me a shithead, or stupid, or ignorant, or anti-feminist, or feminist or wacko or whatever, but the concern-troll thing is pointless and distracting

:hide:

I keed, I keed!

I agree with you.

:P :P :P :P :P

Couldn't resist.
:hi:

I've always highly resented the idea that posters can't talk about more than one issue at one time, like there is some sort of "official list" that is acceptable. I also highly resent the notion that asking legitimate questions about blatant inconsistencies in an "official" story somehow paints one as a "tinfoil hatter".

But let's argue that very thing with the folks who post "don't attack Sarah on the gramma thing" rather than label them "concern trolls" or use the implication "your concern is duly noted"

:evilgrin:

This concerns me.

telling others what they should or should not post. It totally pisses me off because I think only the site owners should have that right. What makes them any more of an expert on any subject, I couldn't say. Many of them are reluctant to give out their credentials. I think it's because they will expose themselves as non-experts just like the majority of us here. This tactic is just their way of shutting down an argument because they have no productive counter argument.

threads about the Presidential race in GD. Or stop any of a hundred other annoying things around here.

what was I thinking?

I just hate the "concern troll" instead of actual THINKING or ARGUING your point

It would make for more helpful intelligent discussion of issues.

Best idea in a long time.

there is a difference between *criticizing* a remark or topic or approach and *suppressing* it. I think it is a bad tactic to attack Palin through her daughter, and that in that connection certain words and attitudes are sexist. I can say so. That doesn't mean I'm *forbidding* people to hold a different view; it just means I'm disagreeing with it.