User:Jams Watton/The Copper Counter Blog

History
The Copper Counter Blog was started in June 2007 by James Watson using the username of "James (UK)", and sought to document all the non-coin related miscellanious items that people using Coinstar (now Outerwall) coin-counting and redemption machines had left behind once they had finished the process of cashing in their coins.

The blog was switched from public to private access shortly after the last public post on November 9th, 2009 when Watson's full name and home address were posted in a comment. This was likley to be backlash due to a stance taken on including members of the public's faces within some images and passing comment on them. This choice was not welcomed by a number of readers although Watson himself couldn't see an issue with it.

Each item that was genuinely left behind by a customer and found on the machines by Watson would be documented by way of a scanned image or photograph, along with dialogue to ascertain why and how the item had found its way into the person's loose change and therefore ended up on the machine. This took the assumption that most, if not all, of the items

As time progressed, the blog began to include photographs and descriptions of the types of change containers people were using to transport their coins to the Coinstar machines, along with photographs of people using the machines.

Following
Although the blog does not have a large number of readers, it generates a respectible level of input from a number of individuls. Regular submissions of found items from fans

Membership
Membership to The Bear Club is free, and like many of the mainstream social networking sites it generates an income through advertising and sponsorship revenue.

Teddy Bear Blogs
Teddy bear blogs on the site typically include photographs of teddy bears on holiday, at home or in unusual places and are often accompanied by a blog entry as if written by the bear itself.