Asking the right questions

Today, I came across an article in Seeking Alpha entitled Etsy Sellers Weigh The Pros And Cons Of An Amazon Buyout,which left a rather spacious or perhaps vacuous void of why so many people are clutching at the straws when it comes to speculation regarding Etsy's future. As a point of reference for most conclusions are quarterly earnings statements, falling stock prices, and some discord in both Etsy's forums, blogs, along with comments elsewhere ranging from "my item is more handmade than your items" to utter dissonance between Etsy corporate and some sellers as a mater of principle and philosophy. As alarming as all of these elements appear, the right questions are still not being asked. Is there a better alternative to Etsy? Is the majority satisfied with the product? If there is no better alternative to Etsy and the majority is indeed satisfied albeit with their own various degrees of discontent or even disenchantment regarding the management, the fundamental cornerstone for Etsy's future success in the short term may indeed be solidified more than any observer from the outside cares to recognize. If Etsy can balance their budget through their satisfied user-base or is able to conclude that no other suitable alternative exists, therefore little attrition should occur if fees are increased, Etsy may endure or still thrive. One must also consider whether Ebay, Shopify, Weebly, Wanelo... all pose a serious threat to Etsy's marketshare and increasing fees would simply accelerate seller attrition to rival platforms. Where I am baffled is how some bloggers reach their conclusions without testing a hypothesis. Just because two entities such as Amazon and Etsy coexist does not mean, they must conquer each other as long as both entities satisfy consumers' unlimited wants and needs with limited resources, I see no reason why they simply cannot coexist with two distinct philosophies. While meant to be thought provoking and starting a hypothetical discussion, I always have this nagging sense that a conclusion becomes solidified by repetition and suggestion rather than more of an attempt to seek objective observation through accepted scientific process. To say the least, I am concerned about the proliferation of ideas and thoughts through repetitive suggestion and see inherent dangers of actually provoking mob rule rather than an exercise in critical thinking.