"interesting how the same metaphor lead to 2 very different types of accounting software." The tablets are tabulated lists which is how anyone might do a shopp

"interesting how the same metaphor lead to 2 very different types of accounting software." The tablets are tabulated lists which is how anyone might do a shopping list or list of income and expenditure. Double entry book keeping is only around 600 years old (I'd have to look it up). That method requires an in from somewhere corresponding to an out from somewhere else. It enables or enhances all sorts of funny business and also cross checking and auditing. Then we move on to the full Nominal/Sales/Purchase ledgers with Cashbook and all the rest. Perhaps we might instead go for the personal version. Anyway, my point is that accounting does not depend on IT related metaphors. The tablets in OP are tabulated tallies of works and how they were generated - it is like a spreadsheet where the human is the computer. Funnily enough, we call them tablets instinctively. Computer originally meant a person who computed things. No need for metaphors at all 8)