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Are your professional networking followers viewing you as a thought leader? Are hordes of commenters praising your advice on growing your business? Do recruiters reaching out to explore opportunities?

Should that not be the case, the explanation might be your gender.

The Test: Changing Profile Gender for Better Visibility

Numerous women participated in an organized professional network test recently following popular discussions indicated that changing their profile gender to "male" boosted their platform visibility.

Some participants modified their profiles to include what they called "masculine-oriented" language - adding results-driven business buzzwords like "drive", "revolutionize" and "expedite". Based on reports, their visibility similarly increased.

Systemic Preference Questions Raised

The improved metrics has led some to speculate whether an inherent sexism in LinkedIn's algorithm favors male users who use online business jargon.

Like most major networking sites, LinkedIn employs an algorithm to determine which content are shown to which members - boosting some while reducing others.

Company Statement

In a recent blog post, LinkedIn acknowledged the trend but claimed it does not consider "personal characteristics" when determining post visibility. Rather, the company explained that "numerous factors" influence how content are received.

Changing gender in your settings does not affect how your posts shows up in search or feed.

Individual Results

A social media consultant, who changed her gender identifiers to "he/him" and her profile name to "Simon E", described remarkable outcomes.

"The statistics I'm seeing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in impressions," she noted.

Another professional, a marketing expert, began experimenting after observing her audience decline significantly.

The Method

• Initially, she modified her profile gender to "man"
• Then, she used artificial intelligence to rewrite her profile using "masculine-oriented" wording
• Lastly, she repurposed old posts with similar "assertive" language

The outcome was instantaneous: a more than fourfold rise in visibility within seven days.

The Downside

Despite the positive results, Cornish voiced unhappiness with the approach.

"Previously, my posts were more personal - concise and clever, but also friendly and human," she stated. "Currently, the bro-coded version was assertive and self-assured - like a Caucasian man swaggering around."

She discontinued the experiment after one week, saying "Every day I continued, and outcomes improved, I became angrier."

Mixed Results

Not all participants encountered positive outcomes. Cass Cooper who changed both her profile gender to "man" and her ethnicity to "white" described a reduction in visibility and interaction.

"We know there's algorithmic bias, but it's very challenging to comprehend how it functions in particular situations or why," she commented.

Broader Implications

These experiments coincide with continuing discussions about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a professional network and community site.

Recent changes in the past few months have reportedly caused women professionals experiencing significantly reduced visibility, resulting in unofficial tests where identical content by men and women received dramatically unequal audience engagement.

System Details

Per LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to classify and distribute posts based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the member's career profile.

The company states it frequently assesses its systems, including "checks for gender-related disparities."

A spokesperson proposed that current reductions in some users' reach might originate from increased competition due to more content on the platform.

Changing Landscape

As one participant noted, "bro-coding" appears to be growing on the network.

"People often view LinkedIn as more businesslike and polished," she commented. "That's changing. It's becoming increasingly aggressive and unpredictable."