"If folkies want to sing their ballads without artificial ground rules, telling everyone what is and isn't folk ... "

But generally speaking, they don't! They usually sit there in long-suffering silence. It's only when they express their views in this sort of forum that they get accused of torturing small, furry animals and other ghastly crimes - usually by people who seem to be desperate to see their favourite type of music admitted to the folk canon (in spite of the fact that such people can generally sing what they like in a folk club and get away with it!).