I think there's a trap i talking about tradition as if there was a single tradition, which is obviously rubbish even within countries or regions.

But the even bigger mistake is to talk about the tradition as if it were a thing, a kind of treasure chest maybe. A tradition, a living tradition at least, is a process rather than a thing, and it is a process that is ongoing. New songs and new tunes can be produced through that process, and they will be recognisably part of that tradition.

And other new songs and tunes will not be - though of course they might be part of some other tradition.

"Folk" is both too narrow a label for "what it is we do", and too broad. What I mean is, typically we will find ourselves bringing in songs and tunes from some other traditions than the ones thta are popularly termed "folk"; and at the same time we are completely unaware of all kinds of musical traditions that are unquestionably traditional folk music in any academic context. The only advantage is has is that it's such an "uncool" term that it scares off some people who can do with being scared off.