If given lovingly and caringly, it is a very viable method of punishment. I am no expert, but I have some difficulty picturing Christ Himself flexing a whippy length of bamboo and ordering a small boy to bend over. My new home computer carked the other day, for no apparent reason. After a day of loafing it went all moody, grumpy at first and then downright insolent, refusing to obey orders at all. Hardly, but it was the rudeness that got me.
Politeness costs nothing.
The retailer did the right thing and replaced the whole box and dice. But now the cat has fallen in love with the new modem, miaowing in ecstasy at the beep-squaaaark noise when I connect to the Internet. There is nothing in the help manual about this. This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.