The Etsy seller who inspired the virtual walkout dubbed Protesty has disappeared from the site, Daily Dot noticed today. The seller, Mariana Schechter of EcologicaMalibu, was importing wood from Balinese boats and designing furniture to be assembled by eight employees, which some users felt was a violation of Etsy (ETSY)’s rules, or at least its DIY ethos. EcologicaMalibu’s Featured Seller interview is still up on the Etsy blog.
Etsy has closed the latest forum discussion about EcologicaMalibu and told the Daily Dot that it was not involved in the removal of EcologicaMalibu. But before the company did, one forum user noted that EcologicaMalibu is has a new home: HomeSav, where Ms. Schechter also scored a featured seller spot.
Non-DIY sellers self-selecting out would be ideal for Etsy as the company struggles to keep its marketplace handmade.
