if you had done this yesterday, you would have had 500 pm's...

 

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Finheaven Vip

I want to take some time here to follow up on the responses and questions concerning the FINHEAVEN VIP forum. Below is a direct response to 1 poster, however, there have been numorous statements made about and referenced about the forum in many posts out here in a negative way.

I also would like to invite those veteran VIPers to contribute.

Well let me give this a shot...

The VIP is a forum where we discuss the here and now. It is a forum where there aren't many, if at all, bashing posts of players or coaches. It is a forum where topics are discussed and members try to disect the issue instead of calling for the heads of the individuals based on emotion. It is a forum where you can feel confortable not being the most savvy guy on the block and still feel and know that your opinion will be debated with respect.

The VIP forum is also a place where you can share your thoughts and ideas and know that someone is NOT going to come back with a stupid, irrate response. It is also a forum where it's members can share their day to day lives and build long-lasting friends with non-judgemental people.

The rules are very specific and distinct in the VIP forum, but the great thing about that is the fact that it is the least monitored forum due to the respect that individual members give to each other during debate.

Now being a VIP member myself, I am taken back by the comments of those VIPers that have made reference to the forum as they have done. I myself, am noting those that have done so in this forum. Those that have made reference to the VIP as a response to a given thread are wrong in doing so as it has already created a feeling amongst those that haven't joined as a HOLLIER-THAN-THOU forum. And this is JUST NO the case.

So when you see these guys or gals making reference to longing for the VIP, they are more than likely the rookies of the forum and haven't been involved long enough to understand the structure and concept of the forum. However, please do not allow their comments to prevent you from joining the forum.

The VIP forum is a paid subscription and the FINHEAVEN site, and the members of that forum, will be sure that you have a great experience with quality debates and fun.

I would also like to invite other VIPers to also provide their feedback as well. I don't know if this should be sticky here, however, it may be a nice sticky for the FINHEAVEN site when it comes back up...

 

My take:

VIP is a way to give back to the site. The money that we donated helped pay for the dedicated kick-butt hardware / hosting environment that will soon be operational. Hosting web sites isn't free - so don't complain about the site's performance or other problems unless you're willing to donate time or resources to make it better.

As a side benefit to your support, you get access to a forum populated solely by individuals who give back to the site. There aren't 5 "fire cam" threads -there's one where discussion is backed by reasoned arguments - not overly emotional rants with no substance.

Not everybody agrees. But when you disagree, you do it respectfully understanding that sometimes you might just be wrong.

 

PM Celtkin and he will send you the donation link. Thanks!

 

Its light years ahead of the main forum.

 

Indeed, VIP isn't the forum where everyone thinks alike. It's the forum where disagreements are debated with facts and solid support. Universal agreement is pretty rare in VIP, but reasons for that disagreement are stated, and are usually pretty damn good.

A VIP membership is also a great way to support FinHeaven, which is pretty much the bottom line reason to sign up...

 

As a VIP`er myself I have to agree that its a must for the serious fan. There isnt a whole lot of back stabbing and bashing going on.Its a place for serious fans to attack a topic from all angles without attacking one another. Not all posts and topics are agreed upon by all but they always seem to be discussed in a civilized manner. The finheaven crew work endlessly to provide us with a forum thats second to none so giving a little back is a no-brainer.

 

I was a VIP/Premium member before I became a Staff member. It is worth every penny. You will learn a lot, get great insite, have good conversations in a relaxed atmosphere.:ffic: You also help keep a great site's doors open for so many members to enjoy.

 

I'd disagree with some of the stuff FINintheMOON is saying there. It's not a forum where someone can just give an opinion and everyone is going to respect it. The opinion is respected and debated based on its merits, not that someone who liked the Dolphins was able to make a post on the internet. A post like "Hay this sucks I wish we had Fiedler and Wannstedt back" followed by 20 one line replies would stick out like a sore thumb. It's not a forum full of people posting something that belongs on a blog, or people venting or ranting. Your "feelings" and your "take" on a situation arent going to be well regarded unless you've got something of substance.

If you dont know alot, and have a legitimate question, people answer it politely and with knowledge. If you are posting one-line garbage replies and just going on and on about nothing, it doesnt fit in with the general theme.

 

I am a VIP member..and honestly have been guilty of using the ...

"I miss VIP" in response to a thread that was kinda out there...and your right..it comes across as being eliteist....

I know alot about general football...and the Phins...but where VIP really sticks out..is in the details. Some of these guys are very knowledgeable about the details....

Hey we all are getting caught up in this mess.

But I will say one thing...and this is the honest to goodness truth.


If we never win another game for three years.....I will still bleed aqua and orange. I am proud that so far our team hasnt completley imploded and started finger pointing on a massive scale. I am proud that they keep fighting every week. To me...Miami Football isnt some sport...its part of my life...for good or bad.

Heres to all fans of Miami. :ffic:

 

For those that are concerned about differing opinions being tolerated in VIP, don't be. There have been some very long and drawn out disagreements in VIP on any number of topics, the difference however is that if you disagree with someone in VIP you have to be able to back it up with a reasonable explanation detailing exactly why you feel the way you do.

You wont find one sentence post saying things like "your wrong", you will find multi paragraph posts detailing the reasoning behind peoples opinions and antagonistic behavior is not tolerated. VIP is moderated both more loosely and more tightly then the main forum, more loosely because it doesn't need to be modded that much, but more tightly because when someone does start making personal attacks and such it simply isn't tolerated. At all.

VIP is all about respect as a forum, for other people that disagree with you and how you respond to them. Healthy disagreement happens all the time but if its not done in a respectful way it gets shut down..... And I think that's part of what some people mean when you hear stuff like "I sure miss VIP". For those of us that hang there all the time we get used to a certain atmosphere that is just different from the main forum, part of which is just because the forum is smaller and you get used to people in there. In the main there is far more people and the sense of community isn't quite as great do to that.

And I hope I dint sound like a prick saying this as I don't want to insult anyone but..... The quality of conversation in VIP is different. Think back to when Ronnie was drafted and remember all the "Ronnie is a bust threads". We all look back now and laugh a little because while Ronnie still does have some injury concerns we have all learned that Ronnie was never a bust and simply needed what some of us said at the time, just time to grow. He was a rookie and like many rookies he struggled early. Nuff said.

But while its funny now it wasn't then, and frankly that's one of the things that drove me to VIP. I just got tired of logging on and reading the same stuff out Ronnie in thread after thread before he had been given a chance to prove whether or not he had what it took. It eventually drove me to VIP and I've never looked back. Like I said there is a sense of community there that I just got used to and once a settled in I just never really ventured back out.

I hope people don't take that as "Me and VIP are smarter then people in the main" because that's not really true. When I joined VIP I didn't post all that much at first because I was used to posting sarcastic stuff in response to people that I deemed to be an idiot. I wasn't used to actually writing well though out stuff so when I joined VIP and found CK, Boomer, Shou, and other writing long post that obviously required a great deal of though I kinda went "wow, I am going to have to step up my game a lot if I'm going to post much here". With time I settled in and got used to it but it took a while.....

Also there are still great Finheaven posters who aren't VIPer, the forum does NOT have the corner on intelligent Miami Dolphins discussion...... But it does have a lot of in depth research and evaluation that's hard to find anywhere else. If you want detailed breakdowns that some might find boring involving why individual players might fit our system, what gaps that D line guy plays (Don't worry I don't understand it all either) or detailed film based reviews of what went wrong on Sunday then you might want to invest in VIP.

And like others have pointed out its a great way to give back to the site, it takes money to keep the place up. When I joined VIP it was $24 and I bulked at it for a while, once I got used to it though the next time around I paid the $36 (current price) without even thinking and I will continue to do so as long as the place exists. Honestly, once I got used to it just went into my "life essentials folder".

 

Great.

Great, guys. Thanks for the input. I'm friends with a lot of the guys in the VIP (from the DT board), and your responses make me even more excited to join when the site comes back up. I think I'm pretty knowledgable about football and the Phins, and look forward to hashing things out with you guys, learning from others there, and making new "DolFriends" as well.
My brother drives for the Duck Tours in Boston, and drove FinHeavens founder a couple years back. He said that they were great people, and told him the story of it's startup. So if one of the main reasons for the VIP site is to support the site, then it makes it all that much better.
Thanks again!
-JC
GO PHINS!!

 

That's exactly what I was trying to say. If you love the details side of the game then VIP is for you. If you just like to sit down and catch a game on Sunday and forget about it the rest of the week then maybe not so much. I started out being the "sit down and catch a game" but then I got addicted. :cry:

 

JC.. RevRick here..
You will love it. It is the best of what we have had for years in the different forums you and I have been involved in together, and IIRC, we were on the OULDE Dolphin board in the late 90's (I think, but don't hold me to it!) There is a lot of thought in the posts and some great insights, scintillating (at times) debates, and there is a lot of reparte and community there as well. I usually hit both board when I get a chance, both DT and FH, and find them both very good.

 

The difference between the VIP and the main forums:

Main Forums debate:
"I think that the situation is X"
"Well you're an idiot"
"allow Mr pottymouth to retort"
"ooh look - a butterfly"

VIP Debate
"I think the situation is X"
"Well you took into account X, Y and Z, but did you consider A, B, C, D and E?"
"C and E aren't relevant however A, B, and D may make me reconsider"

 

Appreciate the hit

 

Here's my 2 cents as a multi-year member of VIP. The money we contribute to belong helps support/offset the costs incurred AND in return we get some awesome stuff (material things).

The posts are what keep me coming back. And yes, we all have our own, but it's how we express them. There is no "flaming", but on rare occasions some of us can be a tad less than civil in a reply, but it is the exception rather than the rule. One of the concepts that is , not required, but certainly desired, is that we back opinions with supporting documentation, rather than just "saying so."

Heck, me and another VIPer, Shou, would go back and forth on some things and until you realize that, make that I realized, I wasn't going to change him, it was pointless banter.

There is some really informative stuff and some info that, without divulging the source, is very interesting.

About 2 weeks before we went "belly up" I was asked (after I volunteered) to write news blurbs for the front page. That was cool and I can't wait to get back to it.

Anywho, it's not snobbery or "holier than thou" - it's educational and entertaining at the same time, without fear of retribution.

 

Gotcha Rev

thanks for the reply. You know that I have a lot of respect for you, and I look forward to seeing you around the VIP board.
Admins, I've got my CC ready. let me know when you start accepting new members.

 

IMO, the biggest difference is the "after" game effect. The losses make the main forum a jungle. In VIP most of the posters are rational and will analyze the game and players instead of fire this guy, or we suck, on and on.

 

I enjoy the main boards, on every site. Not even close. There is no way I would pay as much as 5 cents for a so-called premium membership. That's probably not appreciated here but as long as there's a thread on the topic I'll be honest.

It reminds me a little bit of the stuffy aspect of Las Vegas sportsbooks. You've got guys who frequent those sportsbooks and are knowledgeable as hell, but they do it with a loud abrasive manner, or an eccentric manner, whatever. The so-called sharps look down on them and like to stay amongst their own, making constant disparaging remarks about the so-called squares. Meanwhile, in 20+ years I've learned much more, and had a better time doing it, from talking to squares and not the sharps.

Don't get me wrong. There are tons of impressive Finheaven posters who posted in VIP only. I guess I got voted into VIP, a few months before I stopped posting. I was never sure how that worked. I posted there irregularly but my initial months on Finheaven were easily the most fun, in the main forum.

It's the same thing on political sites and other sports sites like Miami Hurricanes message boards. I prioritize value here in Las Vegas, getting the best of it, and paying to post in one section when I can post somewhere else for free strikes me as the height of bizarre. Certainly not value. I would have to grab my chest and check to see what the heck was wrong with me, if I even considered it.

This may come across as stuffy in its own right, but I have confidence in my own opinion. And my perspective, which is not always standard. I feel zero need to be tutored or protected from the masses, in a supposedly higher realm.

Chaos is a blast. I've enjoyed many of the reactionary threads in my brief time on this forum.

 

For Me getting in the VIP wasnt so much about the "quality" of the post or poster...It is fairly evident once you Join but it was far from my sole motivation..I joined because this site is my favorite place to hang out (I spend way to much time here) and wanted to do my small part to help keep it running...I guess I could have just donated but the VIP section seemed like a fun place to hang out and it is..Its a tight friendly group that has plenty of different takes on things but it feels like my dolphin "family" for lack of a better term.


I still enjoy the main forums...But VIP tends to be the quiet amongst the storm when things are going poorly for the team.

 

Getting a VIP membership is also a great way to support the board you are apart of. These things arent free. 30 bucks is chump change when you think of all the stuff the people that run this board put into it.

 

I sent a money order about the 19th of Nov. to join VIP. I don't know if this was received or not, due to Finheaven going down. Could someone check and see if my money order was received? I have the carbon copy and can check to see if it was cashed if needed. If this has been received how do I get into VIP?

 

You renewed mine too didn't you buddy?:wave:

 

:lol: I don't even know if I got myself in.

 

I like the VIP forum for good ole fashion debate, but mostly I join to help the site financially.

 

We thank you for your great support of the site. We wouldn't be here without it.:ffic:

 

Bro we are working on yours.:up:

 

Do I get in for being a Moderator haha?

 

Sorry Bro, we are in the process.:up:

 

Yeap best move I made joining VIP

 

Hey how do you guys get the finheaven VIP in your avatar?

 

How can you tell if someone on here belongs to VIP?

 

the honor system.

since we're on the subject, I also had $50 billion Phin Dollars.