Quote - I'm not sure  I know what this is. Where is this mode changer. I don't think I've ever noticed it.

There's two radio tickers directly beneath the "Edit Poly Mode" rollout in the modifier.  One for Model, and another for Animate.

The help files say:

"The Edit Poly modifier provides explicit editing tools for different sub-object levels of the selected object: vertex, edge, border, polygon, and element. The Edit Poly modifier includes most capabilities of the base Editable Poly object, except for Vertex Color information, Subdivision Surface rollout, Weight and Crease settings, and Subdivision Displacement rollout. Edit Poly lets you animate sub-object transforms and parameter changes. In addition, because it's a modifier, you can retain the object creation parameters and change them later."

When it's in modeling mode, which is default, the modifier locks you into whatever procedure you do on it.  In Animate mode, the last operation; be it an extrusion, bevel, inset, or whatever, is perserved to be edited later, if necessary, or animated with keyframe animation, and passed up the stack.

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