"...geometry."
I've had too many conversations like this, where I pause to think "where do I begin to fill the vast gaps of ignorance such that they will even begin to be properly equipped to understand the absurdity of their question?"
On two occasions [Charles Babbage] had been asked, — "Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?"
To which he replied:
"I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
(I usually remember it as "I cannot rightly comprehend the confusion that would engender such a question"; either gets the point across.)
However, I have been in a room much like that and the part of it that is indigestible are the absurd questions in the form of a demand for action, disregarding the fact that green lines are not red, for example. "So we can do this, right?"
It's a great video.
But honestly, I thought exactly the same thing. I consider myself pretty damn skilled in the areas where I focus, but in all others you could drive a Mack truck through the gaps in my knowledge.
In any kind of fruitful working relationship, I'm expecting to be both on the giving and receiving end of those conversations more than occasionally... otherwise, what's the point of even collaborating?
Either OP is a) working with idiots (in which case, quit yesterday), or b) he's not valuing the skills they're bringing to the table.
If they are ostensibly in the same role as him and should know better, see (a).
I am a physicist and I can relate to his experience. Sometimes friends/family will ask me absurd, ignorant questions and I have to pause to figure out how to answer them. But just because the questions are absurd or ignorant doesn't mean I disrespect the questioner or their other areas of competency. I think it's awesome when people have the curiosity and the confidence to ask questions that risk being ill-posed.
Taken at face value, mikestew's comment seems fine to me. I guess it depends on how much disdain you read into his usage of 'absurd' and 'ignorant'. Perhaps he meant them literally, with no connotation implied. I guess only he knows. And when the OP's intentions are not clear, it's probably not best to respond with a rude remark.
You also don't need to be undervaluing someone's skill set to see their lack of understanding of a project's limitations and requirements as a detriment and impediment to your progress; it is, and acknowledging it as such does not require being a jerk, nor does it necessarily make you a jerk.
If you're saying "man, what an idiot you are" to people who suggest things that aren't possible, feasible, or sensible, then yeah, you probably have some growing up to do (of course, most of us do anyway). But that's not the same as addressing someone else's very real problem before it makes your responsibilities intractable.
No, it was downvoted as a rude personal remark, and rightly so. That's just what downvotes are for.
There are countless appropriate ways to raise any genuine concern.
Sweet irony.