Glueman,
Sorry, we crossed postings.
Don't know where your list of don't came from but none of them are covered in the definition, and certainly never mentioned by me.
We don't accept any definition if it doesn't make sense - nor do we reject an existing and established definition because it is personally inconvenient.
As I understand it, the established definition was drawn up by people working in the subject; basically by those who supplied us with the raw material in the first place.
A fair stab at an analysis was made by Sharp in 'English Folk Songs; Some Conclusions' and followed up by Bert Lloyd's 'Folk Song in England'. There are several hundred other books on the subject which can be taken into consideration.
Be glad to hear any specific problems you have with the definition as it stands, or any of the written work on the subjects.
My own personal experience of thirty years collecting leads me to believe that they got it more or less right - with some minor quibbles.
Do you a deal; Ill show you mine if you show me yours - research, that is!
Jim Carroll