That's interesting! I'm not sure if it's against the terms of service of Reddit, but there are places where it's perfectly okay to try this stuff out, at least by terms of service.

I've done it multiple times: androgynous gender, gender swap, same gender, etc..

In each case, I've made mild adjustments to my revealed persona to be consistent with both my actual personality and also gendered expectations.

The thing, though, is that--while I haven't done it on reddit--I mostly haven't noticed a huge difference in whether or not I'm taken seriously.

I have noticed that female-presenting personas more easily evoke sympathy, and male-presenting personas more easily evoke heated arguments, but the heat is nastier and more irrational when directed at female personas.

Nonetheless, overall, I've only noticed a modest difference.

So, I wonder why our experiences are different?

One possibility is that reddit is a cesspool, and the rules are different there.

Another possibility is that how one presents aside from gender matters, and that my style tends to lend itself to being taken seriously regardless of gender.

Or it could be that things are changing over time (for the worse); much of my experimentation was years ago.

Or perhaps you varied how you presented more greatly than I did.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear an account from someone else who has given this a try! It's a pity it came out with such a discouraging result.