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Internet retail giant Amazon.com, whose front page is usually littered with ads for dozens of products being touted for sale, today was sporting a simple box directing visitors to make a donation to the American Red Cross Relief Fund following the terrorist attacks yesterday.

The message extends the sympathies of all those at Amazon, and tells visitors they can make a contribution of $1 to $50.

And donate they did. The site at midday was reporting that almost half a million dollars had been donated so far, from more than 17,000 people.

"All of us at Amazon.com are deeply saddened by the recent tragedies in New York City, Washington, D.C. and southwestern Pennsylvania" the site says. "ALL donated money will go to the Red Cross to help victims of this and other tragedies."

The site, which continues to lists its shopping categories down the left but is bereft of all the usual shopper-enticing promotions, then offers a "how you can contribute" link that lets visitors donate via their credit cards as part of the Amazon Honor System. The honor system lets users employ Amazon.com payment technology to make payments to Web sites for as little as $1.