`Balance' dialog box.. what is it for.

[Derek Atkins]

Gnucash is a full double-entry accounting system.  It is not an
electronic checkbook.  If you want an electronic checkbook you
should find another program.

-derek

Harry Putnam <reader at newsguy.com> writes:

> Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU> writes:
>
>> As I mentioned in my last message, the problem is that you
>> did not provide a transfer account.  The money is withdrawaled
>> from your checking account and goes... where?
>>
>> - Into your pocket?  (assets:cash)
>> - To your checking account?  (liabilities:ccard)
>> - To pay for groceries?  (expenses:groceries)
>
> OK, I'm now seeing what the double entry stuff is like.  I don't care
> where it goes.  Don't want to keep track of that.  I just want to keep
> track of what is in the bank.  Just like they do.  They don't care
> where it goes yet are quite capable of displaying my balance.
>
> Should there not be a setting in gnucash that would allow me to do
> what every paper checkbook in the country does? What every online
> banking setup does ...  Then I can do it without going online all the
> time to check stuff.
>
> The double stuff is way too labor intensive for simple check book
> accounting. For example:  I tried to import that accounts activity
>>From a downloaded file.  It renders my register totally inaccruate by
> default.
>
> That is, I have to scutinize every incoming transaction and decide
> where the other entry went, then clickety clack twice for each one
> then another one to enter it, else gnu cash makes my register useless
> with totally inaccurate final balances.  So the advantage of
> downloading the transaction and importing them was totally nulled out.
>
> Creates more work than it was worth.  I'd have as well done it
> transaction by transaction to begin with.  Then at least I could have
> just left them `imbalanced USD'.
>
> For my purpose they could stay that way forever.  And again I'm
> finding that this powerfull software is ending up making lots more
> work ... that wasn't my goal.  If making finances easier for common
> check book accounting is not one of the goals of gnucash developers
> then I'm probably trying to use the wrong tool.
>
> I read somewhere gnucash would be usefull for all levels of users.
>
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>

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available