Team Fortress 2 selling $100, $20, $7 hats for Japan aid

[Sleekgiant]

I'm glad Valve is helping out, Japan can definitely use the help to get back on its feet.

How much of the money is actually going to japan though?

All proceeds from the sales. Did you even read the OP?

 

[Elamdri]

What are your thoughts on this?
I still can't work out if I'm ok with this. Of course sending money to Japan is the right idea, but rewards for doing it? Doesn't that defeat the point of donating if you get something back? Also, Valve has money of their own to donate right?

While it's nice to believe that people are good, the safer bet is to assume that humans are greedy, shifty, work-shy, amoral jerks. Under that way of thinking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging people to donate by giving them a benefit (no matter how trivial). Look at stores and restaurants that put your name on a card and hang it up when you donate a dollar. So long as Valve isn't keeping money from this, I don't see a problem. Heck, if you donate to the American Red Cross, you get to deduct your donation from your taxes, and thus get a larger tax return. How's that for an incentive?

And sure Valve has money of their own to donate, but so do we. Whether or not someone else donates to a cause should not effect whether or not another individual donates.

 

[Twilight.falls]

What are your thoughts on this?
I still can't work out if I'm ok with this. Of course sending money to Japan is the right idea, but rewards for doing it? Doesn't that defeat the point of donating if you get something back? Also, Valve has money of their own to donate right?

While it's nice to believe that people are good, the safer bet is to assume that humans are greedy, shifty, work-shy, amoral jerks. Under that way of thinking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging people to donate by giving them a benefit (no matter how trivial). Look at stores and restaurants that put your name on a card and hang it up when you donate a dollar. So long as Valve isn't keeping money from this, I don't see a problem. Heck, if you donate to the American Red Cross, you get to deduct your donation from your taxes, and thus get a larger tax return. How's that for an incentive?

And sure Valve has money of their own to donate, but so do we. Whether or not someone else donates to a cause should not effect whether or not another individual donates.

The funny thing is that people must not have noticed this part of Valve's announcement

"those who would prefer to donate directly to the American Red Cross fund can do so at their website."
Followed by a link to the site.

Valve is offering some trivial hats as an incentive for donating, but they know that people will donate and deny the hats.

There is absolutely no problem with the situation.