It’s not its, it’s it’s

It’s such a common error that it makes every grammar blogger’s “Top Writing Mistakes That Make You Look Stupid” list. And now it’s in a Yahoo! News feature. Its name is “Who Knew?”

You don’t need a Ph.D. to understand this problem

What happens when the world’s “premier digital media company” lets its staffers loose without direction? This happens: The writers and editors for Yahoo! News can’t make up their collective minds about a simple abbreviation. They can’t decide if they should follow the Associated Press style for Ph.D, which they do here:

Or nearly follow it here:

Or just use the style listed in the American Heritage Dictionary:

Or make up something completely wrong:

This is what happens when a “media” company doesn’t have a style guide or even a preferred authority on style. There’s a lesson for all of us, even those like me who are the only writer on a hobby blog: Pick a style guide or dictionary or other authority and stick with it.

What’s wrong with ‘you people’?

Is the stress of the latest tragedy in Colorado wearing on the writers at Yahoo! News? Would that explain this typo?

Or the ‘s a missing S here:

Without the S, headquarter is a verb; with the S, it’s a building or location.

It would be great if the writer would close up close-up with a hyphen:

Was it tension news bullpen that led to this misplaced question mark?

Ms. Romney didn’t ask “You people?” That is not the question.