Don’t be rude: If I wanted to reply to your email, I would have

There’s a really rude button on Microsoft Outlook in which the sender can request a confirmation that their email has been read. Why? That request is just another decision I have to make – it’s always no – another click I have to click, another moment of my life that I can’t have back.
If your email was at all interesting to me, you wouldn’t need to ask; I would have gotten back in touch. If you think you deserve a response, try again – but take a different tack. I wasn’t interested last time.
Email is an invitation, not a command (unless it is from your boss). A reader recently commented on receiving an email requesting a favour; it was marked urgent. How rude. Answering emails is optional in my book, so if you want an answer, be extra polite, every time.