>>>>First, the sentences you refer to here are addressed to Rick Strahl, not to Alan Griver.
>>>
>>>This was in your original post, addressed to All, but concerning YAG's response to your private e-mail:
>>>
>>>The reply, with hopefully the reasons I ask for, is required now, rather than next month.
>>
>>Yes, you're right. That one is in the main message.
>>
>>Now, could you, as a native speaker, and/or as an American, tell me: What is impolite about it.
>
>PMFJI, Peter.
>
>Maybe it is because you haven't FULL command of English. That sentence is phrased with a demand - the opposite of a "polite request". It sounds more like a final demand for late payment of an overdew bill. A polite phrasing would have been:
>
>"A reply, hopefully with the reasons I ask for [sic], would be greatly appreciated as soon as possible"
>
>or:
>
>"An early reply, hopefully with the reasons I ask for [sic], would be much appreciated"
>
>If the "next month" bit is essential:
>
>"Unfortunately a much later date will be of little use to me"
>
>If I were to receive a"demand" from you like that then my reaction would be that you can go and get knotted.
>
>My two penn'orth

Terry, thanks for the helpful reflection.

I used the word to express a need, that it is felt as essential. Perhaps this is less troublesome:

2) The reply, with hopefully the reasons I ask for, is essential now, rather than next month. It is an urgent issue in my perception.

Better? Acceptible? Polite enough?

And I guess in another sentence 'requires' can be replaced by 'asks for' :

I really hope someone (else) from MS realizes that the request is serious enough and requires an appropriate, official response.

Please, tell me, try me, if any other 'signs of impoliteness' are found.