"It is only to point out that the non traditional singer songwriters are doing something different, amazing, enough so that they need their own places or maybe a new term for themselves.

Actually the reason for this is so that they can be found more easily in the recording bins and at the festivals which I hope would be more their own festivals rather than parts of traditional folk festivals."

That is an old argument, but I don't find it particularly valid. Lumping everything "traditional" in a folk bin doesn't really say much either. Too many different genres of folk.

For years, bookstores have done well with "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction". Most people are smart enough to realize that there is a difference between John Gorka, Woody Guthrie and the Copper Family - even if you find them in the same bin marked "folk". Not many people would buy a CD without some background on the artist anyway.

Why would you want to separate festivals anyway? Sounds boring. Give it a good mix and have fun. If I go to a buffet I would hope there was more than chicken dishes being offered.