Does that mean any edited comment is invalid?
Or does it mean that edits don't count?
If it's the former, then once again, I can game the game by making an early comment that is valid, then invalidating it at the just the right time, so as to adjust all the successive comments by 1.
I assume you meant the latter -- i.e. edits don't count.
I am having a hard time to see the difference. I am not counting any edited comments even if that does screw up the count. When I count everything is paused. It is too late to make an edit then. SO although it may be possible to bend that rule. I think it is difficult. You can play with it more next time. You did a great job messing up the count. I thought it was funny. I made a mistake I won't make next time. I gave the numbers out when I saw 51. There weren't 51 comments yet. Next time I will not publish the answers until I see all the winners. I have to record it on paper first before numbering them on the block chain.
It would be hard to game this particular rule to win #51, but pretty easy to scheme to win #41.
I just have to be #42 and have posted at least one comment prior to #41, then make sure that I edit one of my prior comments just before the game is finalized (to invalidate it, moving all the successive counts up by one). That moves my #42 comment into the #41 slot.
That sounds like a good plan. A few weeks later I will try a round 4 and you can play with the rules. I'd like to see you try it then.^^