FinHeaven & Co

When I was 13 years old, I received my first computer… a Packard Bell with a 133Mhz processor and a 56K Modem. My first experience to the web was using AOL and I hated it from the get go. Finding information about the Miami Dolphins was painstakingly slow. I had to go to different groups/web sites to find everything I wanted. So, I decided to start my own website called “AJ’s Miami Dolphins Page” but I had no idea how large of a following I would eventually have.

I had three goals while building the site:

1. Have as much information as humanely possible. From 1966 to present. I discovered that many people, like myself, love statistics. How many yards did Csonka run during a specific game in a specific year? Who did we draft in 1984? That kind of stuff.
2. Next, have news established quickly. At first, I would read as much as possible and write summaries online. As FinHeaven grew, however, I began to build relationships with reporters to try and get news before it would hit the press.
3. Have an active, well-moderated online community. Myself and others researched other Dolphin communities and noticed that it was mostly gibberish (even on the official website). It was a free-for-all with whatever language. So, when we launched the site we had several policies… with the biggest policy being, “If it’s not appropriate for children 13+ then it doesn’t belong here.” Lastly, we decided to have additional forums for “Rivalry” fans and as it got larger we developed VIP forums and more so that fans could come to our forum and talk to fellow fans about practically anything.

Awards

While I was with FinHeaven for 10 years, I constantly received “notes” informing me that FinHeaven was violating several trademarks, etc. These “notes” ranged from using the “official colors” to using their mascot. To get around this, I used different colors (but much alike) and hired a designer to create our own mascot that resembled the official one. However, in 2004 the Miami Dolphins organization decided to take care of web masters & others that have devoted their time, energy, and money to support our favorite team. That year, they brought down ~10 different sites (~30 people) to have a “Web Weekend” which took us behind the scenes and have a Q&A directly with the coach. In 2005, they introduced “Webbies” which were awarded from the Dolphins. FinHeaven.com won “Best Special Features” and “Most Informative Site”. Shortly after this, I decided it was time to move onto something else and sold the site in early 2006.

While I was attending Hillsborough Community College in Brandon, FL I submitted FinHeaven.com into their "Technology Showcase" which was judged by University of South Florida College of Engineering professors. We were awarded first place.
Award given by the Miami Dolphins organization for FinHeaven having the "Best Special Features"	Award given by the Miami Dolphins organization for FinHeaven having the "Most Informative Site"