[resu_nimda]

It comes off as condescending. Generally, being incredulous of the way someone thinks isn't a respectful way to engage with them (I'm sure most of us are guilty of it at times, but usually in frustration with people that we have a personal relationship with). If you're going to ask someone something that might offend them, I would suggest starting with a show of goodwill. Also, extensive use of hypothetical "thought-quotes" is very easily construed as mocking or belittling, even if you were just trying to be precise about your meaning.

A better way to ask might have been: "I'm curious, and I don't mean to be rude, but what caused you to post this comment here instead of searching for the answer?"

[pwdisswordfish4]

That recommendation strikes me as much closer to an attempt to make a statement with a rhetorical question than the question I actually asked. Even the most charitable assumption of good faith would most likely yield a response lacking detail and devoid of any insights that I was after.

[resu_nimda]

You could add that "I'm asking because the process of typing an off-topic comment on a forum and waiting for replies strikes me as an inefficient way to get an answer to this question, and I'm genuinely trying to understand that thought process."

I highly doubt it would have performed worse than your strategy, which at best resulted in a derail about tone, and at worst scared off the person you were asking and others who may have otherwise taken time to give the deep and thoughtful answer you were looking for.

It seems clear that you find niceties and pleasantries to be not genuine or unnecessary, and I can sympathize, but they go a long way in terms of making people feel comfortable and opening up to you.