Is there a good way to handle people on EL&U who seem to thrive off of making others feel their opinions and explanations are inferior or "incorrect"?
Is this a forum for constructive, respectful discussion or for cutting people down to make oneself feel better about some shortcoming they have.
I've just seen your flag, and deleted both comments. Do not criticize, even if someone else has been less than tactful. Do note that the advice is appropriate, even if not entirely polite—please don't overformat.
A more general answer follows.
If this has occurred, you have several options:
You can flag the offending post or comment. This is generally the preferred technique unless the problem is excessive (i.e. it goes beyond a few posts and continually defines the individual in how they participate in the site)
You can email any of the site moderators if an email address is available on their profile (for example, my profile has my email in the profile text box)
You can post here at Meta.English if you are comfortable talking about the incident in public
The exact nature of how we deal with the situation will of course depend on the severity of the offense—it may be as simple as an edit and it may go so far as post deletion and user suspension.
Per
https://english.stackexchange.com/faq#etiquette
Civility is required at all times; rudeness will not be tolerated.
Be nice.
Treat others with the same respect you’d want them to treat you. We’re all here to learn together. Be tolerant of others who may not know everything you know. Bring your sense of humor.
