I've been in an inconvenient situation where I ask a question and there's a comment suggestion that it's unclear, vague, off-topic, pointless, etc.
Usually, I try to apprehend that by a disclaimer but on occasion, I trust in people's capability too much. Also, it's hard to make up for when people don't read or disregard a disclaimer.
Disclaimer here. For treatability of the issue, please assume that the question asked is clear, polite, of sufficient quality and that the research and such have been carried out according to the standards. This particular issue I'm stating here is strictly about the about the recipient being at fault.
Example
- Why is X doing Y?
...
- X can't be doing Y.
- We've never seen that.
- Question is wrong and off-topic.
- Did you try googling it?
Now, here I realize that the replier isn't aware of the complexity of the issue. Or, perhaps, they don't know a good answer and assume that there isn't one. Etc...
I've tried to explain to such users that they're ignorant of the issue (pointing out that so am I) and that we should hope that someone else with more knowledge on the subject may share it with us.
For some reason, it sometimes leads to the person being insulted and/or aggrieved. Twice I got a user banned for the reaction to such reply. Not rarely it's taken as confrontative and even hostile.
Let's assume that the person isn't an ass and isn't having a bad day. Let's assume that it is what I say and/or how I say it that is perceived to be a trigger for that.
How could one point out that someone is:
- replying outside the context of the original question
- not contributing to a constructive exchange of ideas
- using the pronoun we to gain undeserved legitimacy for the whining
- not competent to understand the complexity and not modest enough to realize it
- assuming stuff from their own, irrelevant experience
- projecting their ignorance and misconceptions onto the matter
- changing the sophisticated and correct contents into grammatically flawed
In a formal and polite way, so that I won't cause any negative reaction (or at least not stimulating such). Preferably - if possible - in a brief way because the comments' length is limited and I prefer not to waste time on lengthy explanations due to social conventions.