ok,it is to do with style,if you took a country and western song,and it had been processed it would still be a country and western song,for instance,the last goodbye by the other dick miles,[you know the f######cw twat]you can process it but it will never be a folk song,because of its style,and its over sentimentality and awful lyrics.it belongs to tin pan alley.
however I do accept that old thyme music is folk music ,and I do accept there are cross over points,between country and folk.but just processing a song does not automatically mean it becomes a folk song.