I'm not overly bothered about their emotions or the way they retrospectively frame their intent, the fact is that their paychecks got cut, but I didn't get a tablet. That's a scam. That money went from my pocket, was laundered through a crowdfunding site, was issued in a check to their employees, and went to their respective landlords. The fact that they went back to the well again and again demolishes any positive framing that I could possibly rationalize. I would be shocked if anyone would invest to pay off all of that old debt, unless they were expecting hockey stick growth (which no one in their right mind would expect.)