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Why are apostrophes so important? Where did they come from? Wouldn't it be better to just get rid of them altogether?

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One question at a time, please. – nohat♦ Jan 15 at 2:04
Apparently the apostrophe got started in the 1500s as a symbol for a missing syllable/letter. I don't know if " was already used in tables (lists of sums of money, for example) to mean ditto, same as above, but it's probably interrelated. Anyway, they're important to me because I like them. Plus I like (from that link) The first citation for the word [apostrophe] used to mean the punctuation mark is from the Shakespeare comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost (1588): “**You finde not the apostraphas, and so misse the accent.**” – FumbleFingers Jan 15 at 2:53
Theyre not really important. Dont worry about them. – John Lawler Jan 15 at 3:26

closed as not a real question by nohat♦ Jan 15 at 2:03

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