Since I couldn't post this as an actual post i'll reply here instead since it's relevant:
Many people seems to be getting on the wrong end of this situation with paid mods and Valve.
You only have to pay for mods which mod creators have made to be paid only and I'm seeing little if any flak against creators for making their mods paid only. As seen Here, it is the mod makers choice.
The whole point of this setup for paid mods is so creators can earn money so they can create a better mod (see Here) by being able to dedicate more time to their creation. Having to work a job to earn money to actually live and then creating a spectacular mod isn't the easiest of tasks.
People some to be complaining about the 25% cut that mod makers get but don't seem to realise that this cut is set by the developer (see Here and Here) and is also a very generous one when mod makers are piggy-backing of their intellectual property.
A lot of people are crying out at GabeN for being a "sellout" or "not on our side" yet his whole point for this program is to support mod makers and also to increase the quality of content that is being made. He is a business man and a CEO so it should be no surprise that money is of concern for him but, from his point of view, he is trying to help the community as well by increasing quality of the stuff produced.
A view on the number so far: Here. This amount of money ($10,000) is insignificant to companies like Valve and Bethesda and only significant to mod makers in the long run. Only when mods themselves actually start improving in quality will people be willing to spend more and more money to use them. Yes, eventually the money made will mean something for the bigger companies, but at that point the mods would hopefully be of quality that makes it worth the price. This is essentially (in my opinion) a process of turning mods into community created DLC. I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but people will buy what they think is worth their money and DLC in the past has shown that people are willing.
In the end, this entire program could be a flop and it would soon be removed as GabeN has said how data driven Valve. So if it doesn't work out, then we don't need to worry as it will be gone. If it does work out and it stays, then that's just a suggestive of what the community is willing to do and that is to pay for mods they want. Yes, there are other options such a donation system or a "pay what you want" system but that doesn't mean they all can't be tried out.
On a last note, I'm not trying to say trust Valve completely with no questions asked, but we need to look at the bigger picture before demonizing Valve and GabeN just because money is suddenly involved. Whether you like it or not, money is essential. A 25% cut is more than the nothing mod makers were making before in a free mod market and it is the our choice with our money which decides if this stays or not.