Etsy users. (flickr.com/davidmasters)

Etsy may have lost its founder-CEO, but it hasn't lost its drive. The startup is heavy on data and metrics and it has a history of turning its users into guinea pigs and slashing features that aren't popular. Today Etsy announced three initiatives in one: Prototypes, an opt-in sandbox where users can "kick the tires" on new features; and the two inaugural prototypes, an HTML5 non-Flash version of the Color Browser and Seller Opportunity Tools, which allow sellers to see voids in the marketplace by displaying what people are searching for.

Similar to Google Labs, Prototypes are strictly opt-in. But that doesn't save the rest of the Etsy userbase from being tested on. Says Etsy, on its blog: "Prototypes are different from experiments, as you have to opt in to join Prototypes, while experiments are temporary changes to your experience that are not pre-announced."

Other prototypes available now include Shop Stats, a recommendation engine and Etsy in German.

At six years old, 80 employees and $400 million in sales, the Dumbo startup is at the phase where it must start actively striving to preserve the startup state of mind.

"My beta-tester heart is bouncing with joy," one user wrote in the Etsy forum.

(regretsy.com)

Yesterday Etsy filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum, which handles domain name disputes for ICANN, over five "EtsySucks" domains: .com, .biz, .info, .org and .net. (EtsySucks.co is still free!) The domains appear to be owned by the former editor of the now-defunct "Unofficial Etsy News Blog" previously at etsynews.com, Domain Name Wire reports.

The gist of the dispute is that the owner hasn't put anything up on the sites yet, suggesting they were registered "in bad faith," DNW says. That implies the owner of the domains is attempting to extract some money from the lords of Etsy--perhaps asking for hush money?

Etsy's got a passionate community and there are pockets of users with very intense co-mingled feelings of love-hate. EtsyBitch, for example, is "a communal blog of likeminded Etsians who are tired of the demeaning treatment, abuse, and general mismanagement of the Etsy.com site." As Etsy is supposed to be a marketplace for hand-made goods, the very funny Regretsy calls out instances of factory-made goods and other junk. Etsy also has extremely active forums.

We've asked Etsy for comment.