[davidelstone]

Could it be the placement of the 'please' in the example? I always include a 'please' when making a request, but I've also had similar thoughts about the mid-sentence 'please' in the past.

If you put it at the end it reads (to me, at least!) more like a polite request:

"Could you align these variable definitions so they're easier to read please?"

[pbhjpbhj]

Are you genuinely asking the person if they will? If not, then you should drop the question mark.