New York Times writer argues that 'Both its and it's should be spelled it's'

Pity the poor copy editor in charge of grammar-checking New York Times technology writer Farhad Manjoo. Manjoo made the argument today that “Both its and it’s should be spelled it’s.” It’s not that tricky to figure out, is it?

@fmanjoo STOP TROLLING THE GRAMMARIANS

— Alex Howard (@digiphile) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo It's a simple rule: when you use a contraction, you use an apostrophe. Does who's and whose also confuse?

— Gadi Ben-Yehuda (@gbyehuda) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo this is totally true! That makes sense!

— ONE HUNDRED TABLES (@100tables) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo makes sense if you think it should also be spelled "hi's" & "her's"

— Michael Selvidge – ‘tine wolf (@selviano) September 22, 2014

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/514132121753899008

@fmanjoo "They're" is a contraction for they are. You wouldn't make it into there or their, right?

— Alex Howard (@digiphile) September 22, 2014

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/514132327644295168

@fmanjoo Honestly, then, I have no words that can adequately express what I want to say in reply. And yes, I'm an English professor's kid.

— Alex Howard (@digiphile) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo But I like to look down on those who make that mistake

— Michael Selvidge – ‘tine wolf (@selviano) September 22, 2014

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@fmanjoo don’t take that away from me

— Michael Selvidge – ‘tine wolf (@selviano) September 22, 2014

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/514132604564434944

@fmanjoo contractions, how do they work?!

— five tons of flax (@_chenghiz) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo We should just go back to drawing pictures, making videos to communicate. Let computers deal with written language.

— Ted Herman │ (@tedherman) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo Please surrender your Ivy League credential, sir.

— SA Frank (@marconi64) September 22, 2014

@fmanjoo your crazy.

— Paul Fidalgo (@PaulFidalgo) September 22, 2014

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/514134096792920064

@fmanjoo The revolution begins now. Very politely, of course.

— Paul Fidalgo (@PaulFidalgo) September 22, 2014

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/514137045665472512