In this thread, at post #6, we find:
Ambivalid makes it clear he/she understands that this post violates GQ rules, but instead of suppressing the the violation, chooses to include it as the “reason for edit”. This seems arguably worse than simply posting it and then claiming not to know it’s against the rules.
Can others expect to escape censure with this tactic?
The specific nature of the edit description does make it seem as if he’s trying to skirt the rules rather than he just thought better of what he posted within the edit window.
If he really realized that didn’t belong in GQ he could’ve said something like “political jabs do not belong in GQ” without getting his “joke” in anyway.
Discussing with the GQ mods now but generally speaking I would think backhanded jabs are just as verboten as forward thrusts, so to speak.
No, that’s not permissible, and I have issued a mod note for it.
It probably would have gotten action sooner if you had reported, though, rather than asking here. I didn’t notice it until it was pointed out.
You mean…you guys aren’t all seeing, all knowing?? :eek:
(Related to the OP and skirting the rules, I remember once seeing an email response to a thread that was highly offensive, but the poster simply edited it to something innocuous. It looked to me as if the poster knew that folks would read what s/he posted, but then erase it before the mods got wise. I assume this is cool, since it doesn’t really make it onto the boards permanent record, but it’s a way to say something harsh or against a specific forum’s rules and get away with it)
-XT
That’s very risky, as the edit window is small and once it closes, it’s gone. So if something happens and you don’t get your edit done in time or the system freezes or crashes, you have just transgressed.
We discourage that kind of backhanded stuff too.
Remember that even though the original offensive post is no longer visible to the public, moderators have tools that make it visible to us – and actionable.
Sheesh, can’t you be nice to one another and just get along?
You probably don’t know me as a poster from Adam, but in my own irascible way I do take the rules quite seriously and DO try and just get along. I’m just pointing out what I’ve seen in the past, and I think there are posters that try and game the email posting system or play things close with editing their posts. That it can bite you in the butt is, perhaps, secondary to the goal if goring someones ox during some of the discussions.
FWIW, the one poster that really stands out in my memory as to doing this sort of thing has since been banned, though not for gaming the system this way, but for other things that you guys documented.
-XT
Slightly off topic, but of the almost 130,000 members listed, not one has the user name of “Adam”.
I should have picked that as my user name, if it was open then. 
-XT
I recall a case where someone posted something highly offensive, edited it out, and then posted “I always wanted to try that” or words to that effect. To my recollection, he did receive a warning for it, and it contributed to his later banning.
I’m not going to mention any names, in keeping with the rules of this forum (besides, it’s moot as the poster is gone now, and good riddance)…I’m just glad you guys are aware of the loophole, and I’ll leave it at that.
-XT
You’re new here, aren’t you? 
I don’t think this is the same case, but in the one I’m aware of, someone got busted for using some (IMO) obscure, apparently racial slur*, edited it out seconds later and then got busted even though the poster had edited it to remove the offensive term.
It wasn’t one of the Dope’s better decisions since IIRC no-one before or since has ever been punished for changing their post to AVOID breaking the rules.
*Yup. Here it is. He corrected his post to remove the slur, and got suspended for a month for it.
The mods can read edited out stuff.
And here I go trying to edit my posts to make myself seem smarter. But then the staff can see right through me, like superman with his x-ray vision.
“Yup, that is indeed a peanut for a brain.”
The mods can read stuff that you haven’t written yet.
I used to edit stuff that members were thinking about posting.
There is definitely some stuff I’ve read hear that I would like edited out of my brain. Can we start a thread for that?
It’s not the same case. In the one I’m thinking of, the poster said something indicating that it was his intention to have the remark visible for a few minutes, and then edit it out to avoid punishment.
There’s always a first.