this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2024
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"Its" has been deprecated.
"It's" follows the rule for contractions with words ending in "s" (is, has) as well as the apostrophe-s rule for possessive forms. As you have demonstrated, the distinction is obvious in context; there is no significant opportunity for confusion.
Keeping the old form does nothing for society other than to inflate the egos of authoritarian English teachers, provide an opportunity for pedantry, confuse spell checkers, and introduce an unneeded exception to the possessive form. Nothing of value is lost by eliminating the old word.
So, "It's" is a homonym: two words spelled and pronounced the same, but carrying different meanings.