[kweinber]

There were patches to machines, cables, memory modules, dresses, etc etc before punch cards. They are all better metaphors than that picture because they offer functionality and aren't just binarily subtractive like the picture.

[saycheese]

First punch card control system was made in 1725, so it's not exactly a new technology.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punched_card

[tyingq]

The patch panel on the enigma encryption devices seem like an apt metaphor for patching code.