So why? One is putting the actual infraction into a context. But even doing so, it doesn't make it a non-infraction. i.e. my example of explaining why you stole my wallet - it might be interesting to a historian or a psychologist, but to the police it shouldn't matter.
The difference is that when it's a physical thing that's been stolen there's little or no doubt. In this case, whether or not the msgs were insulting is a subjective thing.
I remember a few weeks ago you posted somewhere (in response to a snarky posting from one of the Devs) that because you know each other you didn't feel insulted or offended by him. The implication being that context can make a difference when talking about apparent insults. So we all might have read the Dev's posting as an insult, but obviously the 2 of you didn't.
