Are clans pointless?

[Andrez]

However, some people think that you can't be important in the community without being in a clan, and that's just not true.

Oh, I misread, nvm

you can play with friends without being in any clan at all though
...
and some of them lower it, either way i'd rather be respected for who I am as opposed to the clan i'm in

Yes, but clanwars (except inters) are hard to do without being in a clan, and anyway, you have to know how to choose the right clan.