The extraordinary reaction of early Oculus VR backers and fans to news of the Facebook deal illustrates the tricky relationship between companies raising money on Kickstarter and the people who donate to them.

The hope, among donors, is that they can help the interesting ideas of these companies get off the ground. Their donations amount to seed funding — enough money to build a prototype, perhaps. And assuming they understand what they’re doing, the donors have no expectations of gaining equity in the young company.

With that largess comes a sense of community and expectations that it will deliver — or at least try really hard — on what it has promised. But when the little company hits a big payday, as Oculus VR announced on Tuesday, it is strikingly clear that community has very little say in its decision-making.

With $2.4 million raised, Oculus VR was among the 20 most-funded projects on Kickstarter. And for many who pledged $300 — enough to earn a developer’s kit — it offered hope that virtual reality, a longtime goal of the gaming industry, could finally become viable.

Oculus is only one of many independent Kickstarter projects, which can range from companies to books to a movie, to get picked up by a mainstream organization.