We've made an adjustment to the FFN points system. You can browse the changes when you browse your profile.
The number of friends, comments made and comments received NO LONGER have a bearing on your ranking.
While we certainly don't want to discourage comments, etc. This isn't meant as a competition to see who can make the most friends or post comments. This is about REAL content and REAL invites. Likewise, inviting bulks of people who have NOTHING to do with the fire service will result in changes there as well.
Please check out the changes and as I've said, we'll continue to re-evaluate before announcing the 'final' formal points mechanism soon.
I'll send out a note about this over the weekend but there is a now a link on your profile right above your point total to 'hide' your point total both on your profile and in the Leaderboard! Check it or uncheck it anytime, and your points total will vanish from both. (It will still track it, so you can always get back in later)