There's a difference between the process and the product. A song has to get into the tradition somehow. At it's start, it's a 'song'. Could be a pop hit, could be a show tune, could be one about your mind being a dustbin full of insanity, or any shape of song.

Folk songs - we can probably all agree on this at least - are ones the 'folk' sing. If you're the only person singing it, it's not really the People's song, is it? If you refuse to allow changes while you're alive, it's not the People's song.

There are enough songs out there, and enough good songwriters, that I just won't bother to sing a song if I have to live in fear of a songwriter's disapproval. Being somewhat of a songwriter, no matter how unknown, I know how it feels to let the song go play in the neighbor's yard. It's inevitably changed: sometimes it comes home covered in mud or the neighbor's kid taught it a dirty word, but you have to let it go unless you want it to never leave home. "If you'd love something, set it free..." and if it really WAS yours, you better have registered a copyright. Even if you do, some 'folks' are still going to claim it. The process starts with 'folks' getting their grubby little hands on a song, working their will upon it (complete with mondegreens and other bizarre changes) and passing it on.

The most fun singing times I've had are ones where people don't worry about categories. We sang old songs AND new. I suspect that's closer to how folks in the past did things than choosing committee-approved, certified folk songs.

Let somebody with less joy and self confidence worry about approval. Just sing the damned song.