I considered this a throwaway question just to get the points but I appreciate the candid responses

If you're referring to the level system:

Trolls coming to troll the community will have to jump through more hoops than they are likely to be motivated to jump through just to troll us without us being able to nix their posts (thanks to the post review and approval process which becomes available at higher levels)

As far as I can tell this community is under a year old. This system helps keeps the community active and involved and the site alive without need for excessive marketing and high turnover models of social media. It allows peer oversight with a minimum of administrative or moderator interference (which reduces the potential for mod-drama schisms in the community)

I'm sorry, what requirement? There are plenty of posters here without photos, if that is indeed what we're talking about.

Mostly to encourage conversation and friendship before dating, for people looking for more than hook ups.

But this website has a bit of a learning curve.

For members who are open to dating, you will see that certain thumbnails and profiles have a heart symbol on them with a percentage. This identifies which members are open to dating, and the percent shows approximately how compatible you are with them. If you click the heart symbol on the top of their profile, you can see how it is determined.

You can improve your score in general by answering all the profile questions and writing a bio, which also earns you website points.

Commenting on posts and writing your own earns more points. At level two you can private message people, and at level eight you get an agnostic T-shirt.

The website uses profile algorithms to find member matches, so the more details one includes, the better the match.

Many people prefer to see a written profile talking about interests, hobbies, and backgrounds that can be quickly perused to find compatible partners.

In case you didn't know yet, to find members near you, click on the "Browse" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters.
Click on the "Discuss" button, then "Nearby" to find members near you also.
Or click on the "About" button at the top left of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial.
Points are now being given to level 3+ members who chat. You can see chat rooms on the group main page or at [agnostic.com].

I'd imagine it's intended to nudge members into being actively involved.